This year marks 45 years that Medavie (formerly MD Ambulance) has been serving the residents of Saskatoon and surrounding communities.
Medavie stated that 2021 has proved to be a record year with record call volumes, record amounts of Narcan administered, constant changes to personal protective equipment requirements for paramedics, supply change issues with the pandemic, additional ambulances and hiring 24 more paramedics.
“COVID has been a challenge for all in the EMS industry, we are still not through this pandemic and we have seen it takes its toll on residents in our communities we serve,” stated Medavie.
This year, there have been a total of 39,836 EMS responses, which is a 15 per cent increase from 2020. Medavie says 604 doses of Narcan were administered in 2021, compared with 460 in 2020. Medavie states this is not including patients who received Narcan prior to its arrival and some patients required multiple doses.
There were two 24-hour ambulances added to their fleet due to an increase in call volumes over several years. One 12-hour ambulance is now in operation to help with the response times to areas of Martensville, Warman and other northern communities.
Medavie says 24 paramedics were hired in 2021 along with one full-time paramedic for the Saskatoon Tribal Health Bus, which serves First Nation communities.
“The stress of being a paramedic have never been higher,” Troy Davies, director of public affairs, Medavie Health Services West, stated in a media release. “With higher call volumes, increased pressures with COVID and calls associated with the pandemic (like mental health and drug abuse) our staff have never been busier. We want to thank the Ministry of Health and Saskatchewan Health Authority for the increase in ambulances which has allowed us to hire 24 more paramedics in 2021.”
Davies adds they don’t anticipate their call volumes reducing any time soon so the additional ambulances have made an impact on their staff and response times.