Paramedic strike ended as flu spreads
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Updated: November 04, 2009 6:46 AM
The B.C. government is legislating an end to the long-running paramedics strike as it braces for the full impact of H1N1 influenza and the coming Christmas holiday season.
Health Minister Kevin Falcon said Monday that despite an essential services order that requires full ambulance service, the strike is affecting patient care.
“With the rest of our health care system already operating at full capacity to manage the impact of H1N1, we can’t afford to have the ambulance service operating at less than peak effectiveness.”
The move comes as public health officials struggle with lineups at H1N1 vaccination clinics and the virus spreading among health-care workers. Last week as many as one out of four staff at BC Women’s Hospital were off sick.
The H1N1 vaccine priority is moving this week to children, pregnant women and health-care workers who are in close contact with the chronically ill people who were targeted first.
The vaccination program has been set back by healthy people showing up at clinics, and by a shortage of vaccine caused by smaller than expected shipments from the manufacturer.
Provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall said Monday the province has 350,000 doses of the regular vaccine still on hand, and he expects all of those to be administered by Friday.
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