Calgary, Lethbridge, Red Deer and Wood Buffalo file official complaint regarding centralized ambulance dispatch
An official complaint has been filed with the Alberta Ombudsman regarding patient care concerns in the months since ambulance dispatch service was consolidated across the province earlier this year.
The complaint — jointly filed by Calgary, Lethbridge, Red Deer and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo officials — claims the removal of local, integrated Emergency Medical Services dispatch on Jan. 12 has "hurt the health and safety of Albertans and (impacted) patient outcomes in all four regions."
All four communities vehemently opposed the province's plans to centralize dispatch from the time of the original announcement in the summer of 2020 through to the implementation of the system.
The mayors of the three cities and the regional municipality say their initial concerns have come to fruition.
"Our communities have tried every avenue to communicate with the government that this system is flawed and to strongly dispute the effectiveness of it, but our calls for a third party review remain unanswered," said Red Deer Mayor Tara Veer. "We will not be giving up the fight for what we know is in the best interest of patient safety. We hope that filing this official complaint with the Alberta Ombudsman reiterates that we will exhaust every avenue possible to revisit the Government’s decision, and ultimately we hope the Ombudsman will review the decision of AHS.”
“It is unacceptable that we continue to risk people’s lives,” said Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi. "We’ve seen the data and listened to those on the frontline and we know that this dispatch system cannot meet the needs of patients in our cities.
"We hope that the Alberta Ombudsman will consider the severity of the situation and convince our provincial government to make the right decision."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.