When you’re suffering from a time-sensitive health issue like a heart attack or septic shock, an Advanced Care Paramedic is who you want on the scene.
ACPs have additional training and equipment which allows them to intervene more quickly than regular paramedics–in certain cases, saving lives. Health Minister Ted Flemming attended a meeting with paramedics and other groups today to discuss increasing the role of ACPs working in New Brunswick.
He tells CHSJ News we currently have 40 ACPs working in this province, and there’s no question we need to step up their role. Further, he looks forward to hearing the recommendations from a dialogue session members of the Department of Health and paramedics today, and is hoping to roll out a more detailed plan as soon as possible.
Yet Paramedic’s Association of Canada President Chris Hood presents a somewhat diffierent picture of the process. He tells CHSJ News he believes they already answered the Minister’s questions back in 2010–and what they’d like to see now is action, preferably in the form of direction to Ambulance NB by the end of the meeting today.
Hood said while they’re happy to participate, it’s “bizarre” to him that the Paramedic’s Association appears to be treading the same ground with the Department of Health again.
