By TERRY PUGH
The City of Warman wants the provincial government to improve legislation governing ambulance service to ensure “timely and equitable access” to emergency medical services across the province.
A resolution urging the provincial government to review and amend the Saskatchewan Ambulance Act was passed by Warman City Council at a meeting on Monday, January 26.
It was one of four resolutions Warman City Councillors are submitting to the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) prior to the upcoming SUMA convention in Regina April 12-15.
Warman City Councillors are hoping the resolution will be among those debated, and endorsed, by delegates at the convention.
The resolution notes that the Saskatchewan Ambulance Act has remained largely unchanged for decades, despite significant advancements in health care delivery and substantial demographic shifts across the province.
Under the current legislation, municipal fire departments are not allowed to transfer patients in emergency situations when no ambulance is available; a situation that Warman City Councillors say puts public health and safety at risk.
The preamble to the resolution adopted by Warman City Council notes that current provisions in the legislation governing the licensing of ambulance operators, as well as the designation of service districts and their EMS providers, “may limit flexibility and hinder equitable access to emergency medical services across urban and rural municipalities, and also where EMS services are not meeting performance expectations.”
The resolution preamble goes on to state that “modernizing these provisions would enable operational efficiency, encourage collaboration among service providers and align Saskatchewan’s EMS framework with best practices adopted in other jurisdictions, including performance-based contracts, that municipalities can provide input on.”
The preamble also notes that, in addition to a policy change that would allow municipal fire departments to transport patients in an emergency situation when no ambulance is available, there also needs to be provincial funding in place to cover the cost of the service.
There have been instances in recent years where Warman Fire Rescue (WFR) certified first responders have been called to medical emergencies involving severely injured patients. The first responders have treated and stabilized the patients at the scene, but no ambulance was available from Saskatoon to transport the patient to hospital.
As a result, the first responders have stayed with the patient and continued to provide care until an ambulance finally arrived. In at least two instances, the wait involved several hours.
During discussion on the issue at a Warman City Council committee of the whole meeting on Monday, January 19, several councillors expressed support for the resolution.
“Opening up the Ambulance Act is a priority,” said Councillor Marshall Seed. “Our first responders have definitely saved lives in situations where ambulances are delayed getting out here.”
Warman Mayor Gary Philipchuk said WFR first responders are essential, but the volume of medical calls they are dealing with is very high. He added the provincial government needs to amend the Ambulance Act to ensure accessible and equitable access to health care is available to people in the region, including those outside Saskatoon city limits.