Tuesday, March 30, 2010

** Life threatening patients in Queensland waiting nearly an hour to be seen at ERs

** Ambulance New Brunswick egg faced over St. Patrick’s Day runaway stretcher prank

AUSTRALIA NEWS

** Queensland ambulance medics in Brisbane are crying foul over ridiculously long waits for EMS patients in life threatening condition. That is the word from the Courier-Mail (Janelle Miles/March 28) which quoted union spokesman Kroy Day as saying the government should be ashamed of the situation. According to the newspaper, March 12 saw Logan Hospital average wait times for the most serious patients punch the 50 minute mark. At the Royal Brisbane and Nambour hospitals, delays have averaged over one half hour in the past five weeks. Since 2007, four patients are known to have died on their stretcher while waiting to be seen by more definitive care. Opposition spokesman Mark McArdle said ramping has been a problem for several years, while Australian Medical Association Queensland president Mason Stevenson said the situation is clearly unacceptable. Queensland Health acting Director-General Michael Walsh, meanwhile, said emergency department upgrades are already underway.

CANADA NEWS

** Ambulance New Brunswick has conceded it has taken disciplinary action against staff in Dieppe after someone rode an ambulance stretcher through traffic during a St. Patrick’s Day prank. The Telegraph Journal (March 27) said the incident, which saw the unidentified individual ride the gurney while in a lying down position, forced vehicles to pull over to avoid striking the renegade runner. Driver Annette Gauvin said she was initially mystified as to whether or not the stretcher carried a runaway patient. A spokesman for the company apologized to residents, but declined to specify how the individuals involved had been penalized. He did indicate, however, that the gurney originated its journey at the home of an off-duty paramedic.