Ambulance delays prompt calls for more Okanagan paramedics

On the same day that there was a tragic fatal accident in Penticton, ambulances were delayed for three other calls, according to the daily dispatch list.

On the same day that there was a tragic fatal accident in Penticton, B.C., ambulances were delayed for three other calls, according to the daily dispatch list.

That’s prompting concerns that some of the Okanagan is short-staffed for paramedics, including in Penticton and Kelowna.

“Even in our rural and remote communities, we’re seeing those delays,” said Troy Clifford, president of Ambulance Paramedics of B.C.

“Every minute that you delay could have outcomes that are negative for the patient’s either survival, which means death, or their potential rehabilitation,” he said.

Clifford said part of the problem is recruitment, particularly when some paramedics only earn $2 an hour through the on-call system.

“Police, fire, ambulance, coast guard, the same kind of people are drawn to this kind of profession that are drawn to all those other disciplines,” Clifford said.

“When I’m deciding which career I want to take, even if I want to be a paramedic, if I don’t have benefits and wages, I’m going to choose maybe those other options.”

Clifford said an estimated 150 to 200 paramedics province-wide are no longer on the job because of the vaccine mandate.