So the province announced $8 million for EMS…
What does that boil down to?
Actually, not very much.
(A thread)
/1
The province says they’re creating 100 FTE positions.
As always, the devil is in the details.
They’re taking 30 temp positions already in the work force and extending them.
But what about the other 70?
/2
The other 70 are full time positions they’ll be filling from the casual pool.
But that’s still pretty good, right?
Well sorta?
/3
That’s 70 positions across the province.
It’s also going to be filled with people who are already working. So there will be 70 new EMT’s who get benefits, and that’s great and all, but here’s the thing…
/4
Let’s say rural(ish) Alberta gets 20 of those, and #YYC and #YEG each get 25…
Ems works on a shift schedule, rotating through 4 shifts.
So that’s ~6 people per shift.
That’s 3 trucks per shift.
Which, if they were adding trucks would still only be a small dent.
/5
But they haven’t said they’re adding trucks, they’re adding staff.
From the exhausted paramedics we’ve heard from in our DM’s, they’re happy that there are some supports coming, but here’s the thing…
/6
Here’s what was going on in #YYC last night according to @HSAAlberta.
10 rural ambulances out of their areas to do calls in Calgary.
That’s 20 EMT’s.
/7
Saturday?
Even worse.
15 rural trucks not in their areas because they were in Calgary.
That’s 30 EMT’s.
So while we’re sure that EMS are grateful for any supports they can get, it’s all just a drop in the bucket.
/8
So what can be done?
Well, there’s a group of EMT’s that have been saying for quite some time that the biggest problem is this.
When ambulances transport patients to hospitals, they aren’t allowed to transfer care immediately and they have to wait.
/9
These are called “hallway waits” from what we’re told.
And they’re the biggest thing that EMT’s have been asking to have changed.
But no one is listening.
/10
Which is understandable.
Because it’s gotta be hard for a government to hear the pleas for help with earplugs in.
/end
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