Ambulance paramedics are warning the public of a 害羞草研究所渢riple threat害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所渃ritically low害羞草研究所� low paramedic and dispatcher staffing levels 害羞草研究所� when 75 per cent of the province does not have full-time ambulance service 害羞草研究所� will put B.C. to the test this year, according to an Ambulance Paramedics of B.C. press release issued Monday.

害羞草研究所淪hift vacancy is the highest it has ever been,害羞草研究所� says Surrey paramedic Shane Sander, a union spokesman. 害羞草研究所淲hen we come to work, the first question we ask one another is: 害羞草研究所楬ow many ambulances will stay parked today due to staffing shortages?害羞草研究所� The holidays will certainly test ambulance resources and resilience.害羞草研究所�

But Shannon Miller, spokeswoman for BC Emergency Health Services, says it害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渋ncorrect害羞草研究所� to suggest that 75 per cent of the province is without full-time coverage. 害羞草研究所淧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,害羞草研究所� she told the Now-Leader.

Miller also said Surrey 害羞草研究所渞ecently increased ambulance and paramedic resources, including 10 more ambulances operating out of the former Treo site.害羞草研究所�

Troy Clifford, president of Ambulance Paramedics of BC, says physical, emotional and psychological exhaustion 害羞草研究所渉ave set in害羞草研究所� among ambulance paramedics and dispatchers.

害羞草研究所淲e are coming onto one year of responding to the global pandemic and almost five years since the province declared an overdose emergency,害羞草研究所� Clifford said. 害羞草研究所淭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.害羞草研究所�

Five people per day 害羞草研究所� 162 all told 害羞草研究所� died of overdoses in October, the BC Coroners Service revealed last week.

Meantime, Clifford said in Monday害羞草研究所檚 press release that ambulance crew burnout, retention and recruitment are at a 害羞草研究所渂reaking point.

害羞草研究所淲hat British Columbians may not know is that 75 per cent of the province relies on an on-call service model, meaning there害羞草研究所檚 no full-time ambulance service. This model makes retention and recruitment of paramedics a challenge because they don害羞草研究所檛 get meaningful compensation 害羞草研究所� 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.害羞草研究所�

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. 害羞草研究所淭his is not sustainable.害羞草研究所�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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