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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch ( q( v0 s+ n1 K+ n$ D) F
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST
% L' b* y' }# \& @& YCBC News
: u/ J7 A/ n ^" Q% O0 i/ A( qThere's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.& Q; D1 N( a2 z: D/ J
& E& y( [5 ^; h9 ]2 h2 Q7 e"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.
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8 s+ q9 N1 E4 V4 C! E3 \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.3 r5 x0 d7 g) C- {: g# w! Y$ O
* J; ?/ e: Z4 G3 A! o$ eRandy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.3 I$ V, u$ ^7 t* X- q- x
4 M+ t6 K+ f* t: \* }% T! F$ q+ g) M"We're doing everything we can, but the system is falling apart – really and truly – it's not working," Littlechild says. ( {: c% P9 R" h
: ]2 S- e" h6 j; LHe 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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