Editor, The News:
Re: Paramedics hanging around hospital ER longer (The News, June 21).
More inconvenient truths about Maple Ridge’s ambulance service, or lack thereof.
Another place paramedics can be seen hanging around is the Pitt bridge area.
Ask them why and they will likely tell you they were covering the area from Burnaby/Port Moody through to east Maple Ridge.
This occurs for many hours every day, because all other ambulances are busy doing calls elsewhere, or, as your article states, waiting with patients at the hospital.
I would argue that if it was somehow necessary for a fire truck to sit there, covering that distance due to such a shocking lack of resources, surely someone would rightly be fired by the end of the day.
When asked, my MLA agreed with me.
Another fact mentioned in the story is that Maple Ridge has two ambulances stationed here.
The shocking part is that it’s true.
Maple Ridge had two ambulances in 1974 and still does. That’s correct. No increase in actual ambulance coverage in 39 years.
Think about that.
While senior government and health officials scramble in secret for hefty salary increases for themselves, vulnerable sick and injured taxpayers get the shaft.
By comparison, since 1974, in the interest of public safety, policing has increased to 112 members, the fire department has gone from a small volunteer squad with a few trucks to a full-time force of more than 60, with 50 additional paid-on-call.
In the article, the ambulance service also states the average response time is 11 minutes.
Being an average, this means for every two-minute response, there would be a corresponding 20 minute response from who knows where.
In my view, it is a dismal and dangerous situation for patients, the motoring public, and paramedics alike.
D. Gunn
Maple Ridge
