Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch

晓晓晓晓

Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch  
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST
% T) \5 T8 f2 B3 u: C& nCBC News
1 @) i1 D; g  W( E! NThere's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.
: ?: M7 s, }" T- ~* |+ R) u2 L
( W' q4 v: y% J+ n, I  V"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.
* }% q( I) Y1 ]: m
* g* H5 G7 a" K  oLast week, a red alert led Capital Health to admit that hospitals can't keep up, meaning ambulances have to wait at emergency until the hospital can take the patient.
% _& d8 A; K$ M. _7 u- p
: i- S& ]3 T# j! sEMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.

Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.
' @: O1 Y  u& g/ z* G
) P4 Z9 X9 ?# N/ ?"We're doing everything we can, but the system is falling apart – really and truly – it's not working," Littlechild says.

He says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.
8 `7 W" `6 b& _) {0 m/ q
3 e6 @' Q( y( h  T- ^6 J) {; _Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system.

晓晓晓晓

"Red alert"是EMS( Emergency Medical Services )的术语,指当整个城市一辆救护车都不可用的状况.上周,由于一次"Red alert"使得Capital Health 不得不承认医院已经跟不上了--救护车必须在紧急情况的时候等待医院是否有能力接受病人.EMS说去年有36次"Red alert",目前为止今年就有九次--有两次是周一下午.医院职员的代表人说事态已经变的更差,他说尽管每个人都在努力,但是整个系统已经支离破碎,无法工作.他认为爱城医院的病床和病房的数目必须增加.Capital Health 则说部分系统将会改变.

晓晓晓晓

PS:我和LI2换了.