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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch - U/ ]: [0 _7 p
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST
6 g( h7 g" b! t& v& ?9 tCBC News
, K3 x0 Z* s4 z4 l" `There'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.
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% N/ x& Y- W! r; D$ ^' i' }* gLast 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.+ y8 y, f9 ~# B; s4 h
6 p; V; b T; W' p7 FEMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.
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% {& L/ C0 ]. S# VRandy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.1 d3 T: f9 a4 d% d0 J, E0 d
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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. . C, J4 U+ Q* y: j( n }5 d" R
" v) R5 D# ?$ J% O% l/ u, hHe says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.5 L2 e3 ]5 u: F) F) m: {% Y4 i, ^
7 T" ~7 H& h" F$ Q! C: a6 ^, a3 O) qCapital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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