Ambulance paramedics are warning the public of a 91裸聊视频渢riple threat91裸聊视频� during the Christmas holiday seasons as COVID-19 protocols are expected to compound mental health and addiction emergencies during a time of year that can be especially lonely for some.

These two health crises, coupled with 91裸聊视频渃ritically low91裸聊视频� low paramedic and dispatcher staffing levels 91裸聊视频� when 75 per cent of the province does not have full-time ambulance service 91裸聊视频� will put B.C. to the test this year, according to an Ambulance Paramedics of B.C. press release issued Monday.

91裸聊视频淪hift vacancy is the highest it has ever been,91裸聊视频� says Surrey paramedic Shane Sander, a union spokesman. 91裸聊视频淲hen we come to work, the first question we ask one another is: 91裸聊视频楬ow many ambulances will stay parked today due to staffing shortages?91裸聊视频� The holidays will certainly test ambulance resources and resilience.91裸聊视频�

But Shannon Miller, spokeswoman for BC Emergency Health Services, says it91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渋ncorrect91裸聊视频� to suggest that 75 per cent of the province is without full-time coverage. 91裸聊视频淧aramedics and our 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week dispatch/call centres cover the entire province, 100-per-cent of the time. We are a provincial service with paramedics responding and treating patients wherever they are located,91裸聊视频� she told the Now-Leader.

Miller also said Surrey 91裸聊视频渞ecently increased ambulance and paramedic resources, including 10 more ambulances operating out of the former Treo site.91裸聊视频�

Troy Clifford, president of Ambulance Paramedics of BC, says physical, emotional and psychological exhaustion 91裸聊视频渉ave set in91裸聊视频� among ambulance paramedics and dispatchers.

91裸聊视频淲e are coming onto one year of responding to the global pandemic and almost five years since the province declared an overdose emergency,91裸聊视频� Clifford said. 91裸聊视频淭hese double health crises are already threatening our frontline emergency medical services, and the triple threat is that our profession is experiencing recruitment issues and an increase in stress leave, which has created a critical shortage of staff. We are worried about members of the public feeling greater isolation over the holidays or using drugs alone and not having access to immediate medical care and transport to hospital.91裸聊视频�

Five people per day 91裸聊视频� 162 all told 91裸聊视频� died of overdoses in October, the BC Coroners Service revealed last week.

Meantime, Clifford said in Monday91裸聊视频檚 press release that ambulance crew burnout, retention and recruitment are at a 91裸聊视频渂reaking point.

91裸聊视频淲hat British Columbians may not know is that 75 per cent of the province relies on an on-call service model, meaning there91裸聊视频檚 no full-time ambulance service. This model makes retention and recruitment of paramedics a challenge because they don91裸聊视频檛 get meaningful compensation 91裸聊视频� only $2 per hour during an on-call shift with the hourly wage increasing only if they tend to an emergency or transfer a patient between health facilities.91裸聊视频�

According to the press release, in October and November some communities had more than 50 vacant paramedic shifts, resulting in no immediate ambulance response on some days.

Paramedic Kristi Schmitz, who works in Haida Gwaii, said she was on shift every day from September 3 to October 16 to make sure her community had coverage. 91裸聊视频淭his is not sustainable.91裸聊视频�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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