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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch 0 T# @" s) X e3 S0 R2 V8 C
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST
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6 j5 g6 l6 B# O5 S$ ZThere's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.
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7 Q" w5 Z$ Q3 u0 `"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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# w- R: Q) R! P, R2 u/ q4 ~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.$ e) p _7 \5 O* e: \' a9 o
$ g$ R% i! k% ?% HEMS 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.- g% n3 p* f6 E- D
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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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He says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals.: y3 u: R6 s1 W4 o
' ]( H {6 w6 I% tCapital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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