The disturbing story of a Surrey family who called 911 for an ambulance for an eight-year-old girl in medical distress last Friday but ended up having to drive her to hospital themselves is not an isolated case, the Now-Leader has learned.

Sadaf Khan said she has yet to receive an explanation why an ambulance didn害羞草研究所檛 come to take her daughter to hospital after they called 911 for help. She said Aira was in 害羞草研究所渟evere pain害羞草研究所� after she fell in the bathtub at about 4:20 p.m., June 18.

害羞草研究所淪he害羞草研究所檚 OK now,害羞草研究所� Khan said. 害羞草研究所淪he passed out, she was in severe pain, she was not able to talk.害羞草研究所�

Khan said they waited about half an hour before calling again. On the second call, she said, she was told an ambulance wasn害羞草研究所檛 available and that they should bring her to the hospital themselves, which they did.

害羞草研究所淚t was really tough for us, for our whole family,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淭he ambulance never showed up.害羞草研究所�

Shannon Miller, a spokeswoman for BC Emergency Health Services, said Thursday that the call was deemed 害羞草研究所渘on-urgent,害羞草研究所� as in 害羞草研究所渘ot serious or life threatening.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淥n June 18 at that time, we were experiencing a high call volume and did not have an ambulance immediately available as paramedics were responding to time-critical and potentially life-threatening medical emergency calls,害羞草研究所� Miller said.

害羞草研究所淎 BCEHS Paramedic Specialist conducted an assessment over the phone, and assessed the patient was in stable condition. Following a consultation with the Paramedic Specialist the caller stated they would transport the patient to hospital themselves,害羞草研究所� she added. 害羞草研究所淲e know it can be incredibly stressful waiting for an ambulance during a medical emergency. We can assure BC residents paramedics continue to get to critical patients and prioritize our responses based on the medical priority dispatch system used around the world. This means patients with life-threatening symptoms including cardiac arrest and breathing difficulties receive the highest priority response.害羞草研究所�

Miller said BCEHS is currently experiencing higher than usual call volumes, and not only in Surrey, which generates about 50,000 medical emergency calls each year. She said this amounts to an average of roughly 140 calls per day to 911 from people requesting an ambulance.

害羞草研究所淭his month, those numbers are averaging about 150 calls a day,害羞草研究所� Miller told the Now-Leader. 害羞草研究所淚n the first three weeks of June there has been 3,443 medical emergency calls, and of those calls 33 per cent of them were life-threatening, 害羞草研究所楶urple or Red害羞草研究所� in our clinical model of response.害羞草研究所�

Bilal Cheema, a friend of the Khans, questions how often scenarios like the one the Khans experienced occur in Surrey.

害羞草研究所淭hey called for an ambulance and they said it害羞草研究所檚 on its way. When someone calls for an ambulance and they say it害羞草研究所檚 on its way, it gives them so much comfort right, like OK, help害羞草研究所檚 on its way,害羞草研究所� he remarked. But 30 minutes went by, he said. Thirty five, and no ambulance. 害羞草研究所淓ight year old child.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 not good enough, even under COVID circumstances,害羞草研究所� Cheema said. 害羞草研究所淥ne of the things that separates us from a lot of places in the world is governance, right, and knowing that you can get help when you need it.害羞草研究所�

Meantime, Newton resident Marie Van Camp, 64, was walking down to the store at 64th Avenue and Scott Road, at about 2:30 p.m. on June 9 when suddenly she was in medical distress.

害羞草研究所淚 became very short of breath, I couldn害羞草研究所檛 breathe, I was blacking out. My husband was with me, he got me over onto the grass and I just collapsed onto the grass,害羞草研究所� she told the Now-Leader.

When she came to, her husband was calling 911. A Surrey firetruck showed up 35 minutes later with a crew of three who checked her blood pressure, and got her on oxygen. She already knew she had a suspected blood clot 害羞草研究所� she害羞草研究所檇 been into a doctor about it.

害羞草研究所淭hat morning I woke up with excruciating pain in the back of my leg,害羞草研究所� she recalled. 害羞草研究所淭he ambulance never did come.害羞草研究所� Van Camp said one of the firefighters told her 害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 think they害羞草研究所檙e coming害羞草研究所� and suggested her husband Ray drive her to emergency. 害羞草研究所淵ou better drive her, and here害羞草研究所檚 what to do if she stops breathing en route 害羞草研究所� you call 911.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e said well we did that already, and we didn害羞草研究所檛 get an ambulance the first time so why would we get an ambulance the second time?害羞草研究所�

Her son drove her to SMH emergency, where she spent 11 hours. Van Camp said she told the medical practitioners that she thinks she had a blood clot and that she害羞草研究所檇 had the AstraZeneca vaccine.

She said they found a clot and a doctor told her she was 害羞草研究所渧ery lucky.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 on blood thinners and will be for three months.害羞草研究所�

Van Camp described a hospital in chaos.

害羞草研究所淭he nurses were saying to each other 害羞草研究所榃hat the hell is going on? This is nuts.害羞草研究所� The doctor said 害羞草研究所榃e haven害羞草研究所檛 been this crazy busy since COVID started.害羞草研究所� The guy beside me, he害羞草研究所檇 been waiting to be seen for eight hours,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淧eople were getting up and walking out, they were saying this is f-ing stupid, I害羞草研究所檓 not waiting. And I heard a doctor saying well it couldn害羞草研究所檛 be that bad, it can害羞草研究所檛 be that serious if they害羞草研究所檙e not willing to wait. I saw four or five people get up and walk out.害羞草研究所�

She was instructed to call the thrombosis clinic at the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre and tried four times to get through, with 害羞草研究所渘o satisfaction.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淣obody ever called me back.害羞草研究所� She eventually drove there. 害羞草研究所淚 thought I害羞草研究所檓 not coming out until I害羞草研究所檝e spoken to somebody. So, a huge runaround inside as well. Finally I did get an appointment.害羞草研究所�

Van Camp said she wants to know why an ambulance did not show up. Was her ordeal scary?

害羞草研究所淵ou bet.害羞草研究所�

She said she only called 911 once before, for a medical emergency when she lived in Delta, and 害羞草研究所渢hey (an ambulance) were there within minutes.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淎pparently there害羞草研究所檚 a shortage of drivers or attendants.害羞草研究所�

The BCEHS has yet to provide an explanation for Van Camp害羞草研究所檚 case.

Miller confirmed Friday that BCEHS received a 911 call at 2:38 p.m. on June 9 for a patient experiencing shortness of breath in the 6400-block of 120th Street in Surrey.

害羞草研究所淏ased on the information from the caller the call was triaged in our dispatch centre as a Yellow call (requiring a non-lights-and sirens ambulance response),害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淎n ambulance was dispatched and en route was diverted to respond to a more urgent, time-critical call. At 2:57 the fire department was notified of the call. A second ambulance was dispatched and also diverted to a higher acuity call.

害羞草研究所淎t 3:59 we received a call from the fire department to cancel the call and indicating the patient was being transported by family.害羞草研究所�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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