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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch
( X( u4 |2 l5 @* VLast updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST& R( x) c. |6 Y
CBC News
: S) \! t0 D- rThere's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.$ p5 B G; d. t! I* w' R- G7 @
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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.% n" D5 }9 l/ C3 O* ?
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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.' j+ G" z% ^+ v! ~) R+ R2 X3 |
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EMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.& ? A- M# R! n N& k
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Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.
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+ u4 j2 N+ P% N! R"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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( t% Q! E4 [. h1 Z3 U7 T) F/ XCapital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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