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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch
* { i4 _) a ~1 M( O, l0 oLast updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST2 x0 V# l' `# _( v& a$ h, O) z0 D
CBC News
% g7 K' {1 J/ J% R. v- wThere's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.- G- x2 ^, w! J% _4 o8 [: K
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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.% a* a) `, o2 m
1 O1 a" P; u: ~, B Y& O' y* fLast 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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Randy Littlechild, head of the union that represents paramedics, says things are getting worse.
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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. / K: y F7 m2 ~3 a' Y
5 _" C; {, h8 I% \. S& S, cHe 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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