(Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Province adds EMS funding for Lethbridge and Fort Macleod

Mar 10, 2022 | 2:30 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Two communities in Southern Alberta are getting boosts to their emergency medical services.

As part of the Alberta 2022 Budget, the government announced $64 million to help EMS respond to high levels of demand and stress placed on staff.

Premier Jason Kenney believes this will go a long way in protecting Albertans.

“I’m confident this boost in EMS funding will strengthen the system and better serve all Albertans by adding capacity and improving efficiency. We are investing a record level on health care in Budget 2022 to have a strong and resilient health system that can meet the needs of Albertans during and after this pandemic, when and where they need that care.”

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More details have been released on what this money will be going towards.

In each of the next two fiscal years, Lethbridge will see its total level of ambulance hours increase by 12 hours per day.

The City of Lethbridge sent us a brief statement, saying, “We look forward to learning more about what the province’s announcement means for Lethbridge in the coming days.”

Fort Macleod is one of 14 rural communities that will share $14 million for AHS’ EMS Hours of Work Project. That involves adjusting working hours, shifts, and scheduling to lessen fatigue among paramedics.

LNN is still waiting to hear back from the Town of Fort Macleod and we will update this article once that happens.

The plan also includes new ambulances for Calgary and Edmonton, a new inter-facility transport pilot project in Red Deer, and creating an integrated operations centre in Calgary.

Mike Parker, President of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA), was not enthusiastic about the province’s new EMS funding.

“The steps announced to address the crisis in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) by Jason Kenney show he doesn’t understand what needs to be done to ensure people who need care, get it.”

Parker adds that, while new ambulances in Alberta’s two largest cities are great, staffing has been a much more pressing issue. He says Emergency Communications Officers (ECOs) and paramedics respond to those in distress, not vehicles.

“People make the system work. For ten years they have been dealing with increases in call volumes. Kenney himself said demand has increased 30 per cent this year. The system is stretched beyond its capability and the only thing holding it together is its people.”

The HSAA wants the Alberta Government to create plans to train and recruit more paramedics and ECOs, plans to retain the members the province currently has, and reinstate harm reduction programs to ease the burden on EMS.