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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch 2 r% U4 G( B$ ]0 }2 b
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST/ s$ l% H* ?$ \
CBC News
9 G# L& _% A' sThere's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.
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- d5 v( R, _% v1 b- t1 j"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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2 g$ x: O3 {% ^5 N! E: K8 rLast 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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* {7 S% G" u. T M% g$ e% ~Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.& m D% [2 ~; j# J7 j! h4 o1 \
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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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6 T {6 j2 F" G. f9 P( kHe says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.& Q/ w2 `3 p& t' x
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Capital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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