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Ambulance reforms will be ‘good for Mission’
Wait times need to be improved Kevin Kevin Mills Mills Mission Mission Record Record
FAMILY DAY FESTIVITIES Brooklyn Zeck, Jesse Hyners, Rachel Burnier and Rene Burnier test their skills on an extra large Kerplunk game at the games centre in the Mission Leisure Centre on Monday. The centre was packed with people as it hosted many free events in celebration of Family Day, including free skating and swimming, face painting, floor hockey, board games, and more. BOB BOB FRIESEN FRIESEN PHOTO PHOTO
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The provincial government is adding eight ambulances, including two in Abbotsford, and 34 new paramedics into the Lower Mainland. It’s a move that should benefit Mission residents, according to Mayor Randy Hawes He said the new additions – which are part of the major reforms promised by the B.C. government to improve substandard emergency response times – are “good news for Mission.” “Putting more ambulances into the Lower Mainland, including Abbotsford, means the chances of our ambulances getting called out of this area are reduced,” said Hawes. The opposite is also true. “If we need extra ambulances, and they’re in Abbotsford, it doesn’t take them that long to get over here. So that’s a good thing,” added Hawes. Long ambulance wait times are nothing new in Mission. In April of 2015, council met
with representatives from BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) executives and the Ambulance Paramedics of B.C. (APBC) union to discuss ambulatory services and wait times of up to 30 minutes and longer. Hawes said the provincial government has taken a “step in the right direction” to begin addressing these issues. But he said an even larger problem to solve is the amount of time an ambulance is tied up at the hospital. The new action plan unveiled by B.C. Emergency Health Services addressed that issue, stating the top reform priority is to reduce how long paramedics wait in hospital emergency departments to hand over incoming patients so they can get back on the road. Fraser Health hospitals are expected to be at the forefront of making the necessary ER reforms. The plan also calls for big changes to how minor emergency calls are handled – more on-the-spot treatment by paramedics or even medical advice Continued Continued on on A7 A7
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