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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch & \3 r! V# y5 z+ D' {4 i+ j9 N7 j
Last 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.
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) t" J/ N v( A" \"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.4 a5 s3 t* s8 T1 _
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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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EMS 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. , [7 H) m, A$ y/ M2 I7 t# h' f
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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.$ W k1 W3 I5 [
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Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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