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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch
9 `4 q, h7 H! p7 R5 t+ f" qLast updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST
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There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.: k8 [9 D y: R0 u( H1 A
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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.) W* C! M$ P) ~7 c" D9 D9 ^
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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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# y7 U" W! ]+ n* t7 Z& ^- e7 aEMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.0 p0 C9 U( c: |; G8 O: J
5 p- ?( l2 A6 J: s6 X3 tRandy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.0 D' c5 D% `3 d& j$ Z) g
9 z7 C4 y, s6 A0 z"We're doing everything we can, but the system is falling apart – really and truly – it's not working," Littlechild says. $ n0 ^' q2 B4 [1 e3 t/ K* d) r; R
$ ? ?3 b, R/ G4 [$ q r& x+ GHe says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.( @ C' t4 |- J; J9 {- }
" v0 ^# K3 I% m; T- J7 w; }; PCapital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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