May 24, 2012
May 20 to 26 Proclaimed as Emergency Medical Services Week to Recognize Life-saving Work: Oswald
Oswald said EMS providers, including paramedics, aero-medical attendants, pilots, medical first responders, dispatchers, firefighters and police, respond to over 165,000 calls for emergency medical help every year in Manitoba, more than 450 calls every day.
PROVINCE SUPPORTING EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PROVIDERS
– – –May 20 to 26 Proclaimed as Emergency Medical Services Week to Recognize Life-saving Work: Oswald
The province is continuing to strengthen emergency medical services (EMS) to ensure EMS providers have the tools they need to provide the best pre-hospital emergency care with the best possible response time, Health Minister Theresa Oswald announced today at the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Celebration of Life Awards Ceremony, where she officially proclaimed May 20 to 26 Emergency Medical Services Providers Week.
“Emergency Medical Services Providers Week is a time to recognize the important life-saving work paramedics, medical first responders and dispatchers do every day,” Oswald said. “On behalf of all Manitobans, thank you for the critical work you do, often as the first to provide health care to patients suffering from a heart attack, stroke, injury and other emergencies.”
The province is continuing to expand EMS this year with four additional firefighter-paramedics in Brandon to put a fifth ambulance on the road and maintain low response times, Oswald noted. Work is underway for new ambulance stations in Iles de Chênes and St. Laurent, and initial planning work is underway on expanding access to advanced care paramedic training. This builds on additional ambulances added in Winnipeg last year and other improvements to offer improved pre-hospital emergency care, Oswald said.
The minister also recognized the significant role paramedics have played in improving access to defibrillators in public places through the Defibrillator Public Access Act. Paramedics and other experts offered advice on which types of public places should be required to have defibrillators on-site. The public can provide feedback on the proposed requirements until the end of May by visiting www.gov.mb.ca/health/legislation/dpaa.html.
Ensuring front-line providers have the supports they need and preventing workplace injuries is an important part of Manitoba’s Plan to Protect Universal Health Care, the minister said, confirming that a new pilot is also underway in Winnipeg and central Manitoba to test the effectiveness of power-lift stretchers in reducing workplace injuries for paramedics.
“Since this time last year, we now have a permanent STARS helicopter ambulance service offering life-saving rapid transport seven days a week as well as a new air ambulance inter-facility transfer program to avoid lengthy, uncomfortable land-ambulance trips for patients between rural and urban hospitals,” Oswald said. “Paramedics don’t just offer ambulance trips to patients anymore, but now deliver advanced emergency care before a patient arrives at a hospital.”
Recognizing the dramatic transformation of EMS over the last 10 to 15 years, including the introduction of the Medical Transportation Co-ordination Centre, new paramedic training programs, more ambulances and full time paramedics, enhanced roles for medical first responders and the new STARS helicopter ambulance, the minister noted that an external review is now underway to determine how EMS can be strengthened for the next decade to provide the best possible pre-hospital emergency care within the best possible response times.“Emergency Medical Services Providers Week is a time to recognize the important life-saving work paramedics, medical first responders and dispatchers do every day,” Oswald said. “On behalf of all Manitobans, thank you for the critical work you do, often as the first to provide health care to patients suffering from a heart attack, stroke, injury and other emergencies.”
The province is continuing to expand EMS this year with four additional firefighter-paramedics in Brandon to put a fifth ambulance on the road and maintain low response times, Oswald noted. Work is underway for new ambulance stations in Iles de Chênes and St. Laurent, and initial planning work is underway on expanding access to advanced care paramedic training. This builds on additional ambulances added in Winnipeg last year and other improvements to offer improved pre-hospital emergency care, Oswald said.
The minister also recognized the significant role paramedics have played in improving access to defibrillators in public places through the Defibrillator Public Access Act. Paramedics and other experts offered advice on which types of public places should be required to have defibrillators on-site. The public can provide feedback on the proposed requirements until the end of May by visiting www.gov.mb.ca/health/legislation/dpaa.html.
Ensuring front-line providers have the supports they need and preventing workplace injuries is an important part of Manitoba’s Plan to Protect Universal Health Care, the minister said, confirming that a new pilot is also underway in Winnipeg and central Manitoba to test the effectiveness of power-lift stretchers in reducing workplace injuries for paramedics.
“Since this time last year, we now have a permanent STARS helicopter ambulance service offering life-saving rapid transport seven days a week as well as a new air ambulance inter-facility transfer program to avoid lengthy, uncomfortable land-ambulance trips for patients between rural and urban hospitals,” Oswald said. “Paramedics don’t just offer ambulance trips to patients anymore, but now deliver advanced emergency care before a patient arrives at a hospital.”
Oswald said EMS providers, including paramedics, aero-medical attendants, pilots, medical first responders, dispatchers, firefighters and police, respond to over 165,000 calls for emergency medical help every year in Manitoba, more than 450 calls every day.
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