Hamilton Spectator
1/7/2013
There is a new threat to Hamilton's chronic problem of code zero ambulance events... the flu.
Urgent care patients are waiting more than 90 minutes for paramedics to arrive in some cases.
Emergency Services Acting Chief Doug Waugh, says the past week and a half has had the highest surge in ambulance calls that he can remember in a flu season.
There was one ambulance or less to respond to calls in the city for at least seven hours on Thursday and more than four hours on Friday.
The union president for the ambulance workers, Mario Posteraro, says Hamilton spent a whole day in crisis mode adding he's never see it this bad in his 32 year career.
He says Hamilton is now looking at code zeroes as something that is routine.
Posteraro says the amblulance system under severe strain and it’s impacting the quality of service that can be delivered.
The flu is backlogging E-R's in the city with 55 ambulance arrivals a day, up from the usual 40.
|