The union representing B.C.’s paramedics says three-quarters of 911 calls coming in to ambulance dispatchers are related to suspicions of COVID-19, which can potentially lead to a delay in response to more urgent calls.
Troy Clifford, president of the Ambulance Paramedics of BC, says 75 per cent of calls at present are related to the coronavirus or flu-like symptoms.
The organization says fears over COVID-19 are understandable, but calls that don’t require emergency care or hospitalization can tie up emergency crews.
The spike in such calls has forced paramedics to be more diligent in their use of personal protective equipment, also known as PPE. “When we’re doing regular ambulance calls, our paramedics are responding … using basic PPE,”