Dozens of ambulances not running due to paramedic labour shortage in Montreal and Laval
Emergency services in Montreal and Laval say there were around two dozen ambulances missing from the roads on the weekend, as the organizations struggle with a severe labour shortage.
Shortly after he retired as a paramedic recently, Hal Newman started tracking the number of ambulances running in the greater Montreal area on any given day.
After posting his findings on social media, he began hearing from paramedics across the province about shortages in their regions.
"It has become abundantly clear to the tune of 30-50 texts a day that the entire pre-hospital care system is dysfunctional," said Newman.
In Montreal and Laval, for example, there were fewer than 30 ambulances in action on the weekend during the overnight shift when normally there are more than 50.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, some paramedics decided to retire, and others burnt out or asked to work less overtime.
"They have been working very hard for the last two years," said Urgences-Sante spokesperson Chantal Comeau. "People are tired, stressed."
Emergency services says there's been no impact on wait times for high-priority calls, and if someone's life is at risk, an ambulance will arrive quickly.
"But of course, it means that if your situation is not urgent, the wait times will be longer," said Comeau. "We do encourage people, if it's not urgent, to call 811 to get medical advice."
Newman is not surprised so many paramedics are getting out of the profession, adding that working so many long shifts makes the work-life balance nearly impossible.
"There just really hasn't been an update to working conditions that meet the new reality of pre-hospital care, which is an aging population, the pandemic, and a very, very large increase in the volume of calls," he said.
Emergency services says it's working to hire more staff and has already hired two dozen new graduates for the summer while it tries to recruit more.
It is also doing more to promote the job.
"It is really a beautiful profession for someone who wants to give back to the community, wants to do a type of work that is really essential and really rewarding," said Comeau.
Newman says the health ministry needs to rethink pre-hospital care, and quickly, so it doesn't continue hemorrhaging staff.
LISTEN ON CJAD 800 RADIO: Do we have enough paramedics? Chantal Comeau, spokesperson for Urgences-Santé, talks to Ken Connors about the recent shortage of paramedics
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada to launch 'national action plan' to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
Iran's president and foreign minister die in helicopter crash at moment of high tensions in Mideast
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.
Michael Cohen says he stole from Trump's company as defence presses key hush money trial witness
Former Donald Trump attorney Michael Cohen admitted Monday to jurors in the Republican's hush money trial that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from Trump's company as defence lawyers seized on the star witness' misdeeds to attack his credibility.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.
Investors watching posts from 'Crypto King' in the wake of fraud, money laundering charges
Former investors of the self-styled “Crypto King” say they are watching his social media accounts and worried his displays of wealth are signs he’s spending their money, even now, as another large expense tied to Aiden Pleterski has triggered a previously unreported lawsuit.
Almost 2 months after it destroyed Baltimore's Key Bridge, the Dali cargo ship has been moved
The cargo ship Dali is being moved from the site of its catastrophic collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in a crucial step toward fully reopening the busy Port of Baltimore.