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Alberta Paramedics Organize to End Crisis in Emergency Medical ServicesThe Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA), which represents paramedics across the province, is speaking out about the state of emergency services in Alberta. HSAA is smashing the silence on the acute shortage of staff and ambulances which has stretched emergency medical services (EMS) beyond their limits. The situation is so serious that Albertans can no longer be certain an ambulance will be available to respond when they need one, HSAA reports. The union is calling for a public review of the entire system to reveal the full extent of the crisis and action to resolve the unsustainable shortage of paramedics.
HSAA has tracked red alerts (no ambulance available to respond), including at least 135 red alerts in 12 communities on 50 days monitored. Between October 23 and October 26 alone, there were at least 20 red alerts. Ambulances responded to emergency calls in Calgary from 10 surrounding communities, including from Canmore which is 102 km from Calgary, and Three Hills, a distance of 132 km, leaving those communities without ambulance coverage. HSAA also reports that ambulances were parked for entire shifts in St. Paul, Andrew, Hardisty, Bonnyville, Hanna, Vulcan and Drumheller because there were no paramedics available to crew them. And in Grande Prairie and Drumheller, ambulances were downgraded from Advance Life Support to Basic Life Support because there was no Advanced Care Paramedic available to staff them. At least 66 communities had an ambulance parked due to lack of crew for at least one day. Calgary had 18 ambulances parked on one day due to lack of crews (August 8, 2021). Vermillion had an ambulance parked at least 20 of 50 days, at least 52 times the response time exceeded 30 minutes and at least 22 times the response time exceeded 60 minutes. A Redwater crew were sent to Buffalo Lake Metis Settlement, a distance of 97 kilometers, for an ATV rollover accident, a response time of 61 minutes. The patient tragically died at the scene.
HSAA launched the HSAA EMS Facebook page on August 28 to give Albertans an idea of what's happening across the province when it comes to ambulance availability. The information provided on the page comes from HSAA members currently working in EMS within Alberta. The first 50 days of HSAA's EMS Facebook page have led to the conclusion Albertans may not have timely access to an ambulance when they need one. Parker, who is an Advance Care Paramedic, also spoke about the impact on paramedics when precious minutes are lost for a patient in need of emergency response. "I can tell you sitting in an ambulance knowing it's going to take an hour to get to someone who needs you is devastating for the health and well-being of paramedics." The COVID-19 pandemic as well as the opioid crisis have exacerbated the crisis in emergency response. This is not a new problem, but one that has been growing for more than a decade through a succession of governments, Parker explained. "The cost of continued inaction is measured in lives," he said. The response of AHS confirms what the paramedics are saying, both about the huge increase in calls and the failure of government to provide the needed resources. A spokesperson for AHS acknowledged that paramedics are responding to up to 30 per cent more calls this year, and said that it has increased the number of paramedics by nine per cent over the past two years. This amounts to at least a 21 per cent cut. AHS also claimed to be filling 100 paramedic positions across the province, but as HSAA pointed out, no new positions are actually being created. Instead, 70 casual positions will become temporary positions, and 30 temporary positions will be continued.
"What we're seeing is a system that was already running on the edge of failure, running 'Code Red' every single day and we are now going to a forced overtime system, a forced model where anybody who is left standing is left picking it up and trying to keep this system together," Parker said. Highest quality emergency medical services when needed are literally a matter of life and death. Paramedics are clearly showing Albertans that the status quo is unsustainable, and what is needed to fix it, while successive governments have continued to underfund the emergency response system, ignore those on the ground who know what is needed and cover up the consequences of this neo-liberal wrecking. Paramedics are speaking out, informing Albertans about the crisis and the solutions, and engaging with communities to speak out to demand that the UCP government guarantee the right to emergency medical services. (With files from CBC, CityNews, and HSAA. Graphics: HSAA)
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Alberta Health
Services (AHS) took over the operation of
ambulance services from municipalities in 2009,
and completed consolidation of EMS dispatch
services in January 2021. Ambulances are now
dispatched from seven centres across the
province. The final consolidation took place
despite strong opposition from the city councils
in Calgary, Lethbridge, Red Deer and Ft.
McMurray who wanted to retain their local
dispatch services. Ambulances are now routinely
sent from one community to another, which not
only results in longer response times, but also
leaves communities with no available ambulance.
"We have heard
reassurances the closest ambulance will be sent
to people who need them," said HSAA President,
Mike Parker. "What we aren't being told is the
number of times there is no ambulance available
to respond, or that when one is available it
could be coming from another city or town -- 30
minutes or even an hour away."
HSAA president
Mike Parker responded to the announcement: "It
doesn't solve the issue of not having enough
members hired. Every shift is being run short.
Without hiring more new paramedics, the current
government continues to put the system, our
members, and every Albertan needing urgent
medical care, at risk."