Tuesday, September 25, 2007

** Yukon EMS problems ongoing

** Queensland, Australia emergency services minister on hotseat

CANADA NEWS

** Interim ambulance workers from Whitehorse continue to provide EMS coverage in Watson Lake and Dawson City, Yukon. That is the word from the CBC (September 24) which said those filling in have been doing so since mass resignations at the two services in early July. Watson Lake Mayor Nancy Moore said she is dismayed by the government’s lack of determination to resolve the issue. Moore said talks with Health Minister Brad Cathers’ office earlier in September proved unfruitful, with bureaucrats saying no new developments have occurred. The apparent stalemate comes despite Cathers’ July announcement that he intends to modernize the territory’s emergency medical system. Attention was first drawn to EMS problems earlier this summer when medics cited rising call volumes, practitioner burnout, and no on-call pay as reasons for quitting.

AUSTRALIA NEWS

** Queensland’s Emergency Services minister is on the hotseat, after reports surfaced his department shredded a report into the death of a heart attack patient. ABC (September 23) said Neil Roberts has denied destroying the tome. However, several news reports are claiming ambulance service staff were forced to rewrite the original submission given to Roberts’ department. The paper deals with the 2006 death of Burbank resident Vito Catenaro, 39. Catenaro’s wife claims EMS not only went to the wrong address, but also could not offer her proper instruction on how to perform CPR. Roberts said although the write-up sent to the deputy coroner was not the original, the second one was more comprehensive.