Paramedics, dispatchers call for more resources as mental health issues spike

Groups representing Canada's paramedics are calling for improved mental health services as staff shortages and unprecedented call volumes fuelled by the pandemic and the overdose crisis take a toll on workers.

In British Columbia, BC Emergency Health Services reported more than 840,000 ambulance dispatches in 2021, but the union representing ambulance workers said the figure is likely much higher.

Troy Clifford, president of the Ambulance Paramedics of B.C., estimates paramedics responded to more than a million calls last year, pointing out that calls that require multiple ambulances aren't counted as separate events by their employer.

"These numbers are just not sustainable," said Clifford.

Figures released earlier this month by BC Emergency Health Services said B.C. paramedics responded to nearly 100 overdoses a day in 2021, which Clifford said has taken a toll on the service.