 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch $ e: x8 G7 p" e9 I& C4 x) z; y9 o
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST
- ?. s9 u2 J/ I _7 ?CBC News
* h6 C# ~# b X5 Q$ nThere's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.
+ n% y s& E1 r2 G) I
% T$ w; C R4 G% Z"Red alert" is the Emergency Medical Services term for the situation when there are no available ambulances in the entire city.
6 _, z z* S9 k: \1 P6 ]3 b% ^; o( G/ f K+ n
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! U5 d0 w- O5 \
_6 k* W% Q% z$ L9 jEMS says there were 36 red alerts last year, and nine so far this year – including two Monday afternoon.
) g. R, e r, E* a) f9 t
7 E; d. @# ]: S6 C& k* s' j# L7 RRandy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.. V5 x# _( _$ G7 {' S
) n- w; X1 c5 a% T) x
"We're doing everything we can, but the system is falling apart – really and truly – it's not working," Littlechild says. & L! d2 g) V4 ]( q- q
: ~4 F D% ^* o6 o* [
He says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals./ {" C% K3 ~% V$ r% C( |' A# ^
7 }; n9 G, p: _5 H, A5 C# f7 pCapital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
|