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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch
{2 Y. g% E$ t7 ZLast updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST
% f1 ]2 t; K8 q; Z, mCBC News : x. {, r$ Z& Y! B
There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.& U7 K) L% }: `
0 C: g& R( }. Z! a9 ]* U, V& v"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.2 T" |& J( P7 K% {& U; V
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Last 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.
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EMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.1 p( S( G6 F" Q0 S. A8 A4 f
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Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.
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7 ^# |; m0 A; Y"We're doing everything we can, but the system is falling apart – really and truly – it's not working," Littlechild says. 7 t; V7 p. l1 k$ c. C
! ~5 p8 |& R, I* t# q/ vHe says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.
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Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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