'We've been abandoned': Man dies in B.C. town waiting for health care near ambulance station
For the second time in less than a month, a resident of Ashcroft, B.C., died while waiting for health care.
Mayor Barbara Roden told CTV News Vancouver a man was walking his dog Sunday morning when he had a heart attack. The man was within sight of the local ambulance station, but the closest paramedics were about 30 minutes away.
Volunteer firefighters were called, but weren't trained for that kind of medical response. Roden said the firefighters who did have some first aid gave the man CPR until paramedics arrived.
"That's twice in one month now that we've had people in medical distress with no ambulance at the station to give them assistance," Roden said.
"It's frustrating, it makes me incredibly sad for the family and friends of the deceased, it makes me worried for my community because I know that people in the community are worried about it."
Last month, a senior resident at a care home next door to Ashcroft's hospital went into cardiac arrest and died. At the time, the emergency department was closed due to staff shortages.
"No one expects an ambulance parked 24-7 in their driveway in case there's a medical emergency, absolutely. But people do depend on the ambulance service, particularly in rural communities," Roden said.
"We just feel that we've been abandoned."
Roden said she wants to see an effort being made to recruit locals to B.C. Emergency Health Services.
"We're more likely to get ambulance paramedics from rural communities coming to our rural communities to work," she said. "It's going to be hard to attract ambulance paramedics from Surrey or White Rock or Richmond or Delta to come in work in small, rural communities."
Ashcroft's emergency department has faced several temporary closures in recent months, diverting patients to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, which is about a one-hour drive away.
Roden said some people are choosing to leave communities like Ashcroft over the unreliable health care.
"Clearly there is something broken with the model," she said.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Angela Jung and Penny Daflos
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.