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www.insideHALTON.com | O A K V IL L E B E A V E R | Friday, January 27, 2 0 1 7 | 4 A STEPBEYOND IN C A R E Halton asking for param edic services seasonal surge funding by M arta Marychuk Oakville Beaver Staff IM O /M O N D O YOU H A V E: Salima Kassam Reg. Chiropodist Foot/Arch Pain? · Ingrown Toenails? · Diabetes? · Swollen Ankles? · Corns, Calluses? w w w .fo o ta n d h e a lth c lin ic .c o m CALL FOR AN A P P O IN T M E N T 9 0 5 -6 3 2 -1 4 1 4 7 2 8 B u rlo a k D rive Questions About Insurance Rates or Coverages? W e have the answers you need. Call or drop by today. Phil Charron ( U M lIs ta te . You're in good hands. ® T ra d e m a rk u se d u n d e r lic e n c e b y A lls ta te In s u ra n c e C o m p a n y . Oakville Agency 203 North Service Road West 289-813-4537 pcharron@allstate.ca 2 5 5 0 E _ 0 1 /1 7 Halton regional council will be writing the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (OMLTC) for additional funding to address the costs associated with the seasonal surge in paramedic services. A surge in seasonal influenza, combined with Norovirus, a highly contagious virus that usually includes diarrhea and/or vomiting, along with various other ailments, is impacting hospitals -- and emergency services -- in Halton and the Greater Toronto Area, said Greg Sage, Chief/ Director of Halton Paramedic Services. A couple of days of freezing rain, resulting in an increase in slips and falls, also increased ambulance call volumes, Sage added. Since Dec. 13, 2016, Gage said paramedic call volumes have increased by 20 per cent compared to the same period in 2016. Halton staffs 19 ambulances during peak times and 12 ambulances after midnight, said Sage. Between Dec. 13, 2016 and Jan. 10, 2017, there were 42 periods when fewer than four ambulances were available for the entire region. During the same time frame, there were four periods when ambulances were unavailable due to offload delays, according to a report to Halton regional council. | Metroland Media Offloading patient delays-- when paramedics get tied up delivering a patient to a hospital -- of three to four hours have been occurring daily. The most significant delays so far this year occurred Jan. 11, 2017, when a patient was placed on offload delay for eight hours. On Jan. 3, 2017, two patients were on offload delay for more than 6.5 hours each, the report adds. Primary care paramedics and advanced care paramedics provide emergency medical services to approximately 500,000 residents in Oakville, Burlington, Halton Hills and Milton. Halton paramedics respond to 50,000 calls per year. Although the surge in paramedic services has recently returned to more normal levels, Sage said the service is waiting until the surge is over to calculate the total funding it will be requesting from the OMLTC. E D U C A T IO N T H R O U G H E X P L O R A T IO N IN OFFICE m om e TEETH WHITENING Doctor^Teeth FO R E S T GROVE A c a d e m y o f A r t s a n d T e c h n o lo g y PRESCHOOL O P E N . ? 'S A T . F E B . 4 H O U S E v 1 0 :0 0 a m E v e n in g & W e e k e n d A p p o in tm e n ts A v a ila b le F e m a le D e n tis t A v a ila b le - 2 :0 0 p m WE PROUDLY OFFER: Preschool Programs JK/SK Programs Before and After School With warm, attentive teachers, our Reggio Emilia curriculum promotes education through nature based exploration! Come meet our teachers, tour our nature based centre, and see the difference a nature-based education can bring to your little explorers! 8 S a m e D a y A p p o in tm e n ts la m e D a y E m e rg e n c y a m ily & C o s m e tic D e n tis try in surance B illed D ire c tly Jigital X-R ays 1 S e d a tio n fo r C h ild re n & A d u lts C a ll t o d a y t o b o o k your a p p o in t m e n t Dr. M anchanda 9 0 5 - 8 2 7 - 3 0 8 5 OFFICE@ FORESTG RO VE.CA W W W .F O R E S T G R O V E .C A 2 2 7 5 W E S T O A K T R A IL S B L V D . U N IT 3, O A K V IL L E n / jn *c c c www.doctor4teeth.com 9 0 5 - 3 3 9 - 1 6 6 6 Lyons Lane, s u ite 100 Oakville, ON