Monday, April 23, 2007
** Edmonton adds cold and flu drug to medics’ pandemic preparedness kit
** Sixteen Ontario ACPs graduate as tactical medics
** Union representing Alberta paramedics decries lack of EMS funding
** Queensland, Australia ambulance brass push counseling options
CANADA NEWS
** Edmonton is adding COLD-fX(R) to its pandemic preparedness kit for paramedics and other frontline emergency workers. That is the word from CCNMatthews (April 23) which quoted Emergency Preparedness Director Bob Black as saying the med is aimed at ensuring adequate responders remain on the job in the event of an influenza outbreak. Considered a complement to current flu shots, the drug would boost immune systems. It could also prevent them from being compromised following a flu virus mutation. That latter would render existing flu shots ineffective.
** Sunday marked the graduation of sixteen Advanced Care Paramedics from Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) emergency response service training. The Canada Newswire (April 23) said the new tactical medics will provide EMS support to police in Orillia, Kingston, Bolton and London. Working on their days off, practitioners will remain on-call during this time.
** The union representing Alberta’s ambulance workers says it is disappointed by the lack of EMS funding in the provincial budget. A press release put out by the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA/NUPGE/April 22) quoted president Elizabeth Ballermann as saying annual municipal ambulance program funding has been frozen at $55 million since 2004. Ballermann said both inflation and population growth have actually translated this number into a funding cut.
AUSTRALIA NEWS
** In an effort to avoid hefty compensation suits, Queensland’s EMS brass are pushing counseling options for stressed out workers. ABC (April 23) quoted Ambulance Commissioner Jim Higgins as saying such advisors are available state wide and are trained to identify mental health warning signs. Higgins’ comments come at a time when a Supreme Court decision awarded a former paramedic $500,000 in compensation for job related pain and suffering.
