Paramedics across the province are taking their pleas for help to Queen’s Park.
Services across Ontario are in a desperate search for more paramedics.
The Ontario Association of Paramedic Chiefs indicates Ontario needs to train as many as 1,200 paramedics a year to fill vacancies.
Around 700 will be trained over the next two years.
National Representative for Unifor Rob Moquin says the staffing crisis in northern Ontario has reached a critical stage that is impacting service.
“When staffing levels are down, the effects ripple through the entire region, leaving communities across the vast area without adequate coverage,” says Moquin.
“There are 500km between our most western and eastern ambulance stations. The gaps of staffing shortages are felt deeply. These shortages mean paramedics are stretched too thin, overworked and often unable to meet the response times as required by the ministry.”
Moquin says long hours, low wages and limited mental health supports are driving experienced professionals out of the field.
Moquin and other paramedics were at the Ontario Legislature to show support for a proposal from the New Democrats.
MPP Frances Gelinas suggests the province set up a task force to review ambulance services and make recommendations to the government.
“We are giving them a one-year timeframe to look at funding, to look at training, to look at recruitment, to look at retention, to look at ratios of paramedics to fix the crisis that we are in,” says Gelinas.
“When you dial 911 and expect EMS and paramedics to come, and they can’t. People’s lives are online,” says Gelinas.
Gelinas says the task force would include representatives from government, labour, municipalities and service providers.
