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 didnB次元官网网址檛 come to take her daughter to hospital after they called 911 for help. She said Aira was in B次元官网网址渟evere painB次元官网网址� after she fell in the bathtub at about 4:20 p.m., June 18.

B次元官网网址淪heB次元官网网址檚 OK now,B次元官网网址� Khan said. B次元官网网址淪he passed out, she was in severe pain, she was not able to talk.B次元官网网址�

Khan said they waited about half an hour before calling again. On the second call, she said, she was told an ambulance wasnB次元官网网址檛 available and that they should bring her to the hospital themselves, which they did.

B次元官网网址淚t was really tough for us, for our whole family,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭he ambulance never showed up.B次元官网网址�

Shannon Miller, a spokeswoman for BC Emergency Health Services, said Thursday that the call was deemed B次元官网网址渘on-urgent,B次元官网网址� as in B次元官网网址渘ot serious or life threatening.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淥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,B次元官网网址� Miller said.

B次元官网网址淎 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,B次元官网网址� she added. B次元官网网址淲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.B次元官网网址�

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.

B次元官网网址淭his month, those numbers are averaging about 150 calls a day,B次元官网网址� Miller told the Now-Leader. B次元官网网址淚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, B次元官网网址楶urple or RedB次元官网网址� in our clinical model of response.B次元官网网址�

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

B次元官网网址淭hey called for an ambulance and they said itB次元官网网址檚 on its way. When someone calls for an ambulance and they say itB次元官网网址檚 on its way, it gives them so much comfort right, like OK, helpB次元官网网址檚 on its way,B次元官网网址� he remarked. But 30 minutes went by, he said. Thirty five, and no ambulance. B次元官网网址淓ight year old child.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 not good enough, even under COVID circumstances,B次元官网网址� Cheema said. B次元官网网址淥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.B次元官网网址�

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.

B次元官网网址淚 became very short of breath, I couldnB次元官网网址檛 breathe, I was blacking out. My husband was with me, he got me over onto the grass and I just collapsed onto the grass,B次元官网网址� 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 B次元官网网址� sheB次元官网网址檇 been into a doctor about it.

B次元官网网址淭hat morning I woke up with excruciating pain in the back of my leg,B次元官网网址� she recalled. B次元官网网址淭he ambulance never did come.B次元官网网址� Van Camp said one of the firefighters told her B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think theyB次元官网网址檙e comingB次元官网网址� and suggested her husband Ray drive her to emergency. B次元官网网址淵ou better drive her, and hereB次元官网网址檚 what to do if she stops breathing en route B次元官网网址� you call 911.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲e said well we did that already, and we didnB次元官网网址檛 get an ambulance the first time so why would we get an ambulance the second time?B次元官网网址�

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 sheB次元官网网址檇 had the AstraZeneca vaccine.

She said they found a clot and a doctor told her she was B次元官网网址渧ery lucky.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 on blood thinners and will be for three months.B次元官网网址�

Van Camp described a hospital in chaos.

B次元官网网址淭he nurses were saying to each other B次元官网网址榃hat the hell is going on? This is nuts.B次元官网网址� The doctor said B次元官网网址榃e havenB次元官网网址檛 been this crazy busy since COVID started.B次元官网网址� The guy beside me, heB次元官网网址檇 been waiting to be seen for eight hours,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淧eople were getting up and walking out, they were saying this is f-ing stupid, IB次元官网网址檓 not waiting. And I heard a doctor saying well it couldnB次元官网网址檛 be that bad, it canB次元官网网址檛 be that serious if theyB次元官网网址檙e not willing to wait. I saw four or five people get up and walk out.B次元官网网址�

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 B次元官网网址渘o satisfaction.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淣obody ever called me back.B次元官网网址� She eventually drove there. B次元官网网址淚 thought IB次元官网网址檓 not coming out until IB次元官网网址檝e spoken to somebody. So, a huge runaround inside as well. Finally I did get an appointment.B次元官网网址�

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

B次元官网网址淵ou bet.B次元官网网址�

She said she only called 911 once before, for a medical emergency when she lived in Delta, and B次元官网网址渢hey (an ambulance) were there within minutes.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淎pparently thereB次元官网网址檚 a shortage of drivers or attendants.B次元官网网址�

The BCEHS has yet to provide an explanation for Van CampB次元官网网址檚 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.

B次元官网网址淏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),B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淎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.

B次元官网网址淎t 3:59 we received a call from the fire department to cancel the call and indicating the patient was being transported by family.B次元官网网址�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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