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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch 9 x( I* [- N5 L5 @# N
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST& w' F j# a* \$ a4 U/ U3 b& o, U
CBC News - e* t; ^) d1 ~/ P
There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.: A% C& q2 S' i. B% y
. L) m) \6 L+ _, \, H4 {3 D9 ?"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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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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& R% t* G" k% ]9 qEMS 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. 0 J" R; T8 V& g) O6 D
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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.: Y9 v+ x i: e% a( j: H; Z) @
& @' M( c( R* [/ `5 ]4 \5 u# lCapital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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