Help is on the way for Albertans calling 911 and for those needing emergency health care.
As part of the Healthcare Action Plan, Alberta’s government is working with Alberta Health Services to improve EMS response times and open acute care beds in emergency departments faster.
Paramedics are highly skilled health professionals who are trained to respond in times of crisis. Our government wants their skills to be used in the best way possible, while also ensuring Albertans are not left waiting after a 911 call. Instead of using ambulances for patients who do not require medical support during transport, AHS will arrange for alternative transportation. Options like community shuttles and wheelchair accessible taxis can transport patients back home.
This means ambulances will be on the road and available for emergency calls instead of being needlessly tied-up when medical care is not needed.
This new program is one of several actions underway to better serve Albertans. AHS has an aggressive plan to improve four priority areas which include: improving EMS response times; decreasing emergency department wait times; reducing wait times for surgeries; and improving overall patient flow and capacity.
Our government is also working with AHS to take further action, including adding a triage physician to emergency department waiting rooms to support patient offloads, and allowing paramedics to assess and treat patients without having to transport them to hospital.
I was pleased to be part of the ceremony that turned over control of the new Calgary Cancer Centre to AHS for final commissioning and staffing. During my time as Infrastructure Minister, I was very proud of the efforts of our team to keep this important project on time and on budget. I look forward to 2024 when the Centre will begin providing patients with the best quality in Cancer treatment.
MLA – Calgary Edgemont Prasad Panda proudly serves the following Communities: Dalhousie, Edgemont, Hamptons, Hawkwood, Ranchlands
