Alberta's health-care workers union wants more done to protect staff during Omicron
The Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) is calling on the province to act and ensure the success of the public health-care system as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread.
In recent months, Emergency Medical Services in Alberta have experienced numerous 'code reds,' meaning no ambulances and paramedics are available in a given region.
“Members from across this province are reporting unfilled shifts, forced overtime or they can't get home at the end of the day, because there are no people available,” said HSAA president Mike Parker.
Alberta Health Services said in a statement that it will use resources from other communities.
“At times, we may temporarily reposition units from other communities or defer non-urgent transfers to address shift gaps, and may also use a single paramedic response units as needed,” said spokesperson James Wood.
“EMS has also brought on additional staff and ambulances and filled 100 paramedic positions across the province as well as working closely with hospital teams to ensure timely flow through our emergency departments.”
As for days off, AHS says vacation is handed out.
“All in-scope paramedic staff requested and are approved for 75 per cent of their annual vacation allotment at the start of the year via the annual vacation selection process,” said Wood.
For calls in Calgary, ambulances have been dispatched from as far away as Sylvan Lake, which is 158 kilometres north of the city.
The union says lengthy response times are due in part to ambulances being dropped or downgraded during shifts as a result of staffing shortages.
“I encourage any member if they want to speak out, if you please flow through us so we can protect them from this predatory employer,” said Parker.
“It is dangerous times when we speak the truth. They know the truth, the employer does, the government does and they are using a heavy hand to ensure that they don't speak out as frontline paramedics.”
With Omicron spreading and more than 1,000 people now in hospital, AHS says staff are not being reprimanded for being sick.
“It is categorically untrue to say staff are being punished for calling in sick,” said Wood.
HSAA represents 28,000 health-care workers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
The proposed merger of agricultural giants Viterra and Bunge is raising competition concerns from the federal government.