The disturbing story of a Surrey family who called 911 for an ambulance for an eight-year-old girl in medical distress last Friday but ended up having to drive her to hospital themselves is not an isolated case, the Now-Leader has learned.

Sadaf Khan said she has yet to receive an explanation why an ambulance didn香蕉视频直播檛 come to take her daughter to hospital after they called 911 for help. She said Aira was in 香蕉视频直播渟evere pain香蕉视频直播� after she fell in the bathtub at about 4:20 p.m., June 18.

香蕉视频直播淪he香蕉视频直播檚 OK now,香蕉视频直播� Khan said. 香蕉视频直播淪he passed out, she was in severe pain, she was not able to talk.香蕉视频直播�

Khan said they waited about half an hour before calling again. On the second call, she said, she was told an ambulance wasn香蕉视频直播檛 available and that they should bring her to the hospital themselves, which they did.

香蕉视频直播淚t was really tough for us, for our whole family,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淭he ambulance never showed up.香蕉视频直播�

Shannon Miller, a spokeswoman for BC Emergency Health Services, said Thursday that the call was deemed 香蕉视频直播渘on-urgent,香蕉视频直播� as in 香蕉视频直播渘ot serious or life threatening.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淥n June 18 at that time, we were experiencing a high call volume and did not have an ambulance immediately available as paramedics were responding to time-critical and potentially life-threatening medical emergency calls,香蕉视频直播� Miller said.

香蕉视频直播淎 BCEHS Paramedic Specialist conducted an assessment over the phone, and assessed the patient was in stable condition. Following a consultation with the Paramedic Specialist the caller stated they would transport the patient to hospital themselves,香蕉视频直播� she added. 香蕉视频直播淲e know it can be incredibly stressful waiting for an ambulance during a medical emergency. We can assure BC residents paramedics continue to get to critical patients and prioritize our responses based on the medical priority dispatch system used around the world. This means patients with life-threatening symptoms including cardiac arrest and breathing difficulties receive the highest priority response.香蕉视频直播�

Miller said BCEHS is currently experiencing higher than usual call volumes, and not only in Surrey, which generates about 50,000 medical emergency calls each year. She said this amounts to an average of roughly 140 calls per day to 911 from people requesting an ambulance.

香蕉视频直播淭his month, those numbers are averaging about 150 calls a day,香蕉视频直播� Miller told the Now-Leader. 香蕉视频直播淚n the first three weeks of June there has been 3,443 medical emergency calls, and of those calls 33 per cent of them were life-threatening, 香蕉视频直播楶urple or Red香蕉视频直播� in our clinical model of response.香蕉视频直播�

Bilal Cheema, a friend of the Khans, questions how often scenarios like the one the Khans experienced occur in Surrey.

香蕉视频直播淭hey called for an ambulance and they said it香蕉视频直播檚 on its way. When someone calls for an ambulance and they say it香蕉视频直播檚 on its way, it gives them so much comfort right, like OK, help香蕉视频直播檚 on its way,香蕉视频直播� he remarked. But 30 minutes went by, he said. Thirty five, and no ambulance. 香蕉视频直播淓ight year old child.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 not good enough, even under COVID circumstances,香蕉视频直播� Cheema said. 香蕉视频直播淥ne of the things that separates us from a lot of places in the world is governance, right, and knowing that you can get help when you need it.香蕉视频直播�

Meantime, Newton resident Marie Van Camp, 64, was walking down to the store at 64th Avenue and Scott Road, at about 2:30 p.m. on June 9 when suddenly she was in medical distress.

香蕉视频直播淚 became very short of breath, I couldn香蕉视频直播檛 breathe, I was blacking out. My husband was with me, he got me over onto the grass and I just collapsed onto the grass,香蕉视频直播� she told the Now-Leader.

When she came to, her husband was calling 911. A Surrey firetruck showed up 35 minutes later with a crew of three who checked her blood pressure, and got her on oxygen. She already knew she had a suspected blood clot 香蕉视频直播� she香蕉视频直播檇 been into a doctor about it.

香蕉视频直播淭hat morning I woke up with excruciating pain in the back of my leg,香蕉视频直播� she recalled. 香蕉视频直播淭he ambulance never did come.香蕉视频直播� Van Camp said one of the firefighters told her 香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 think they香蕉视频直播檙e coming香蕉视频直播� and suggested her husband Ray drive her to emergency. 香蕉视频直播淵ou better drive her, and here香蕉视频直播檚 what to do if she stops breathing en route 香蕉视频直播� you call 911.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淲e said well we did that already, and we didn香蕉视频直播檛 get an ambulance the first time so why would we get an ambulance the second time?香蕉视频直播�

Her son drove her to SMH emergency, where she spent 11 hours. Van Camp said she told the medical practitioners that she thinks she had a blood clot and that she香蕉视频直播檇 had the AstraZeneca vaccine.

She said they found a clot and a doctor told her she was 香蕉视频直播渧ery lucky.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 on blood thinners and will be for three months.香蕉视频直播�

Van Camp described a hospital in chaos.

香蕉视频直播淭he nurses were saying to each other 香蕉视频直播榃hat the hell is going on? This is nuts.香蕉视频直播� The doctor said 香蕉视频直播榃e haven香蕉视频直播檛 been this crazy busy since COVID started.香蕉视频直播� The guy beside me, he香蕉视频直播檇 been waiting to be seen for eight hours,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淧eople were getting up and walking out, they were saying this is f-ing stupid, I香蕉视频直播檓 not waiting. And I heard a doctor saying well it couldn香蕉视频直播檛 be that bad, it can香蕉视频直播檛 be that serious if they香蕉视频直播檙e not willing to wait. I saw four or five people get up and walk out.香蕉视频直播�

She was instructed to call the thrombosis clinic at the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre and tried four times to get through, with 香蕉视频直播渘o satisfaction.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淣obody ever called me back.香蕉视频直播� She eventually drove there. 香蕉视频直播淚 thought I香蕉视频直播檓 not coming out until I香蕉视频直播檝e spoken to somebody. So, a huge runaround inside as well. Finally I did get an appointment.香蕉视频直播�

Van Camp said she wants to know why an ambulance did not show up. Was her ordeal scary?

香蕉视频直播淵ou bet.香蕉视频直播�

She said she only called 911 once before, for a medical emergency when she lived in Delta, and 香蕉视频直播渢hey (an ambulance) were there within minutes.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淎pparently there香蕉视频直播檚 a shortage of drivers or attendants.香蕉视频直播�

The BCEHS has yet to provide an explanation for Van Camp香蕉视频直播檚 case.

Miller confirmed Friday that BCEHS received a 911 call at 2:38 p.m. on June 9 for a patient experiencing shortness of breath in the 6400-block of 120th Street in Surrey.

香蕉视频直播淏ased on the information from the caller the call was triaged in our dispatch centre as a Yellow call (requiring a non-lights-and sirens ambulance response),香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淎n ambulance was dispatched and en route was diverted to respond to a more urgent, time-critical call. At 2:57 the fire department was notified of the call. A second ambulance was dispatched and also diverted to a higher acuity call.

香蕉视频直播淎t 3:59 we received a call from the fire department to cancel the call and indicating the patient was being transported by family.香蕉视频直播�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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