 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch / U! l4 U+ J! o1 e `
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST
% Q0 V- Z I7 T7 a1 `CBC News ( Y4 W7 i/ ~" c9 E8 v" I! X
There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.
! B) i/ u0 r' ?7 \0 M7 R# Y/ v' V7 R0 j9 R' m8 j
"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city./ ~; D9 S7 B0 l- f
' F; h. N: n' D. i
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.; R7 ]% q3 Q, T. y
1 J n0 K' \4 E2 p
EMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.$ s4 u6 v3 A" Z$ |( U' p
' y W& `9 }7 ?% }$ h' U4 l1 D* wRandy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.
+ a! e! U% R- _$ d' Y+ m
9 g7 b. ?5 J- |9 e9 r5 v"We're doing everything we can, but the system is falling apart – really and truly – it's not working," Littlechild says. 3 C. u9 _' M5 j$ Q4 o/ ]
( g: l( k, v7 [5 S4 V. a
He says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.( n2 P7 i# D5 c5 x h) Q
; L: j/ D. ?9 P) M7 E S
Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
|