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Edmonton suffers ambulance crunch / b( v7 O5 _" ~9 Z; Y R3 k
Last updated Jan 31 2006 08:26 AM MST9 Z3 R/ K6 U7 l0 |" {
CBC News ! {, b5 E8 `( Q. v& Z# C
There's been a big jump in the number of "red alerts" in Edmonton this year.
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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.. m. X9 h; v/ e0 }
. K- W: Y" q, l7 }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.% d5 k6 [6 I5 U! S, c
! R7 X) N k% i* n3 T. KEMS 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.: V2 b" ?" ], z
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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. % ^% J, Y2 k! D9 t8 O# n% h7 l
) j) |& f& m0 I# h5 CHe says it has come to the point where there has to be an increase of rooms and beds in Edmonton hospitals." U3 I; w: x5 M( g' ~
- l% V$ c3 j e& r U! ^( ? k$ G8 tCapital Health says it will look into making changes to that part of the system. |
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