Paramedics prepare for potential increase in calls as students flood back to Waterloo
With students back for another year, and one large destructive party already in the books, local paramedics and hospitals are preparing for a potential increase in emergency room visits.
A gathering on Ezra Avenue on Monday resulted in property damage and two injuries requiring paramedics to transport someone to the E.R.
“It was certainly surprising,” said Region of Waterloo Paramedics Chief Jim Topham.
Topham said paramedics see an increase in calls every year when students return to Waterloo, but it doesn’t usually start this early in the semester.
The annual increase is noticeable.
“It’s a slight increase, it’s nothing major… it’s usually related to substance misuse,” Topham said.
He said while he’s confident they can handle the increased workload, it could impact their overall service.
“There is always the potential for an increase in calls related to the students coming back, which can have an impact on how we respond to the rest of the community in an already stressed healthcare system,” Topham said.
Paramedics work together with other emergency services to prepare for the return of students and large gatherings like homecoming, Topham said.
“Part of planning is making sure we have a robust operational and deployment plan in place so that we can ensure a safe response for our staff and the safety of the students who participate, and also that we are able to respond to the other people in our community who need our help, so it doesn’t have a negative impact,” Topham said.
Grand River Hospital said it doesn’t track ER volume related to students, but overall, the emergency room continues to get busier.
Every year, except the first year of the pandemic, Grand River Hospital has seen a considerable rise in the number of emergency room visits.
This year, the hospital said it is on track for 78,000 visits, an increase of over 10,000 compared to five years ago.
Topham said Region of Waterloo paramedics are hoping to hire more staff to help keep up with demand, but it’s a challenge.
Meanwhile, when it comes to dealing with the party crowd, Topham reminded the public paramedics are there to help.
“We are noticing a different attitude this year so far from the students, it seems to be a pent up frustration or a bit of aggression, so we would ask that students and anybody who calls -- we are there to care for them -- that they treat them with respect,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.