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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch ' d" M4 k M- S% i7 w1 C
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST* m6 i$ x+ v; v0 g* X8 Z& e
CBC News
) t4 B0 k2 }) @3 ^' {: dThere's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.
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"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.. j& v, Q( x. Z8 Q: m! O
7 \2 F) E) ?# Z5 D; _5 J; A4 m% ?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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8 i. T+ H" I! G* `, r7 C" uEMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.
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Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.
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"We're doing everything we can, but the system is falling apart – really and truly – it's not working," Littlechild says.
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He says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.( K7 D" z9 H4 ]) b# D+ B5 G
8 z1 j: `& L. aCapital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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