MEDICINE HAT, AB — The NDP government announced today they’ll be hiring 100 more paramedics and investing in more ambulances.
It’s being done to get people faster emergency care when they need it.
Officials say they’re seeing more calls in communities throughout Alberta.
Calgary and Edmonton will each see eight new hospital emergency liaison officers, along with several new ambulances.
Medicine Hat will also benefit.
One new ambulance was announced for the city and eight additional paramedics.
Dale Wiess, executive director of EMS for Alberta Health Services said it takes eight people to be able to operate an ambulance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
“You have to have a number of shifts there and they work four days on and four days off and so when they’re working a 12 hour shift, making some assumptions as to what’s occurring there for a shift load, it does take the eight people to be able to manage that car,” he said, over the phone from Edmonton.
An extra $29,000,000 in this year’s budget is helping cover the cost of the program.
