By Tyler Marr

Ground EMS review should recommend public system: CUPE

Aug 1, 2017 | 5:00 PM

As the government undertakes a review of ground emergency medical services (EMS) in the province, CUPE is recommending a move towards a fully public system.

They cite the system in British Columbia – Canada’s first provincially-operated ambulance service, as being a more efficient, patient centred and cost effective model.

Currently, there are 104 private and regional health authority ambulance services in Saskatchewan. Sandra Seitz, president of the CUPE Saskatchewan Health Care Council believes a centralized system would help improve service for rural Saskatchewan residents.

“Right now we have a fragmented system,” Seitz said.

In most urban centres, Seitz explained how after a call, an ambulance can be expected to be at your door within nine minutes, but rural patients face times closer to 30 or 50 minutes if the nearest service is out on a call. As well, many services say they only meet the half-hour target 77 per cent of the time, according to Seitz.

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“We just don’t feel that is adequate for response time for an emergency situation,” she added.

CUPE has filed recommendations to the transition team conducting the review. Alongside the call for a public service were recommendations to improve the pay and working conditions for rural responders and the establishment of more full-time EMR positions in these communities. 

Many small communities lack ambulance service at times as some smaller centre EMR’s hold full-time jobs. 

With the soon to come amalgamation of health authorities in the province to one large entity, CUPE believes it may be difficult for the single body to manage and coordinate efficiently the 104 separate services. Through one public entity, CUPE also says efficiencies and savings could be found through bulk equipment purchasing for the service. They say it would also help standardize ambulance equipment.

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr