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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch 6 @$ G9 i6 t* i8 `% V
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST2 s# N" b4 Y" A
CBC News
r% E" m# V/ `/ NThere's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year. b# b; ]! X& F& V
1 I5 j6 k4 B; y"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.' K/ N' x& ?. \- \) m
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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.1 [. P# Y/ w9 Y( L
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EMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.1 C, Q( s. k7 l. U, w5 E
- M7 n+ _' h5 x" ^) ~( mRandy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.
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7 o. Z4 T* G; v, n7 `' Y5 \"We're doing everything we can, but the system is falling apart – really and truly – it's not working," Littlechild says. 7 S& G v0 n& C; q1 q0 e
* O; X" r, `& \; z, JHe says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.% a8 p( ^. U8 B: i' b j+ N
9 l8 n( ^9 U4 @Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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