Prescott-Russell paramedics to return home after dropping patients at Ottawa hospitals
Posted May 24, 2018 09:16:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The United Counties of Prescott-Russell Council say their paramedics are spending too much time responding to calls in Ottawa instead of the areas they're supposed to service. This is because Prescott-Russell paramedics are dropping patients off at Ottawa hospitals, then getting tagged by dispatch to respond to other calls within the city.
The Ambulance Act of Ontario dictates that the closest available ambulance must be sent to an emergency, regardless of jurisdiction.
In an interview on the Rick Gibbons Show on 1310NEWS, Michael Chrétien, the Director of emergency services for Prescott-Russell said, “someone could die because I've sent vehicles to Ottawa and don't have the resources for my community, and someone could die in my community. My responsibility is to my community.”
On Wednesday, Prescott-Russell Council decided to direct their paramedics that have dropped off a patient outside their borders to be unavailable to take another call until they've returned to Prescott-Russell.
In a presentation to Prescott-Russell United Councils, Chrétien provided provincial data which showed their paramedics were called to Ottawa more than 1,100 times in 2017. He added that within that same year, Ottawa paramedics were called to Prescott-Russell around 130 times.
Chrétien added, “let's all be reasonable here. Let's agree to take care of our own calls and really, in exceptional circumstances, let's help eachother out because I do need their help when I have something major, and they also need mine, but not on a daily basis because that's not fair.”
The new policy is expected to come into effect within the next couple of months.
