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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch 2 |7 f, C, h& q8 Y5 \) k; Y
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.. K; U% O' Z+ \
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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.. p' [0 w" x' m* i7 |
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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.. i3 `: {0 L$ C9 {" w9 Z
+ y6 j% W% [ q" k6 @, A; H$ x e6 nEMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon." u9 n/ u: |) a C1 j7 \7 `
! |* j2 c' s6 ^Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse." k' Y; `+ Y# C3 [! m8 S
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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.
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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.
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Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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