Friday, October 12, 2007

** Quebec medics sound alarm over poor pay

** South African medics strain under crank calls onslaught

CANADA NEWS

** Urgences Sante medics in Quebec continue to agitate for increased pay. CJAD (Tim Parent/October 11) quoted union spokesman Stephane Gascon as saying poor salaries are impacting staff retention. Gascon said the current situation is dire, with both more medics and EMS units needed to improve patient care. Negotiations between Urgences Sante and the paramedics’ union continue.

SOUTH AFRICA NEWS

** Crank ambulance callers are sending KwaZulu-Natal paramedics scrambling. That is the word from the SAPA (October 11) which said eight fake help hails Thursday resulted in a needless abuse of EMS resources. ER24 spokesman Derrick Banks said hoax callers were deliberately making practitioners run for their own enjoyment. He also said the misguided jokesters could cost the lives of real emergency medical patients.