 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch
1 Q, u5 O) C7 Y8 L3 FLast updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST
3 I: Z; s& L8 s2 m$ gCBC News / ]2 Z0 N3 z' q
There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.( A9 |8 d( V6 h# I
% g; [5 v. C5 N' B! x" I. o
"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.6 P) H. C9 w6 k, r: K
6 s( L4 {- j+ s4 t1 ]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.
- u9 q) u- M5 ~1 }- s8 a, F6 _6 \
" ?7 J# X0 `- P) O/ f! ZEMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.
" e! S+ w7 s) o6 ?2 }$ C. Q" _
Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.8 Z, Q7 y1 {& P' X
& a+ I& Q* J3 m) ~) e3 s
"We're doing everything we can, but the system is falling apart – really and truly – it's not working," Littlechild says.
8 a9 R& m9 n$ A. Y4 i' s( Q3 l* I
He says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.
! [$ z5 Z' c5 s \
: \' Q7 {7 ?2 t1 X( Y: R- WCapital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
|