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Alberta's $64M EMS commitment too little, too late: paramedic

The increase in funding will improve response times by EMS, according to the province
EMS
Funding will include $28 million towards new ambulances and EMS crews. File photo.

The province announced $64 million for emergency medical services (EMS) in hopes of improving response times, but registered Alberta paramedic Don Sharpe said it doesn’t address the problem’s immediacy.

A $64-million increase to funding for EMS was announced on March 10. The increase brings the total EMS funding for 2022 to $587 million — a12.2 per cent increase from last year. 

Twenty-eight million will be used to add ambulances and EMS crews, the province said.

Edmonton and Calgary will both be receiving five 24-7 ambulances in each of the next two fiscal years for a total of 20 new ambulances.

Red Deer and Lethbridge will also see ambulance hours of operation increase by 12 hours per day over the next two years.

Additionally, money from the $28 million will be used for sustainable funding for AHS air ambulance services.

The province said $22 million will be used to increase capacity, extend ground ambulance contracts and support “integrated operations centres and inter-facility transports projects.” That will include creating an integrated operations centre in Calgary, mirroring the one already in use in Edmonton.

There will also be $14 million in funding for what the province is calling the “hours of work” initiative.

The initiative aims to lessen first-responder fatigue by adjusting working hours, shifts and scheduling throughout 14 rural communities.

Cochrane is not among the communities listed as taking part in this initiative.

Health Minister Jason Copping said in a statement that the new funding would alleviate some of the pressures the province’s emergency services have been under.

“EMS has been experiencing historic call volume and staffing pressures and we’re taking action by significantly increasing EMS funding to improve capacity and access," Copping said.

"We’re committed to making sure EMS has the resources they need, and I thank all paramedics and EMS support staff for stepping up throughout the pandemic and continuing to be there when we need them.”

But Sharpe says it’s too little, too late.

“Right now, they’re not dealing with the problems that are endemic to EMS,” Sharpe said.

“You cannot just buy trucks overnight and you cannot train staff overnight. All of these things they’re talking about are down the road.”

He said there are tangible things that AHS could do immediately to improve the EMS situation in Alberta.

“They could start moving non-emergent patients using contracted providers,” Sharpe said.

“Hospitals too often have to call AHS to transport these non-emergent patients … if they were allowed and encouraged to call one of the contractors … it would leave the emergency ambulances alone and available in their communities to do the emergency calls.”

Adding a volunteer aspect to transport when full-time staff were unavailable, much like volunteer firefighters, would lessen the stresses on many paramedics, Sharpe said.

“Rural communities need a Plan B,” he said.

“You can throw all the money you want at promises down the road for more ambulances and more paramedics, but what can we do tomorrow when someone is crossing the street and falls and breaks a leg and the ambulance isn’t in town?”

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