Unfair resource allocation compared to other zones
Funding over the past 10 years has left Central Alberta at a deficit of ten times the rest of the province for hospital infrastructure.
This has widened the gap in health care access which is why residents of Central Alberta often have to travel to Edmonton and Calgary for services that should be available locally.
Long wait times and overcapacity protocol (OCP)
Overcapacity protocol happened in Red Deer Regional Hospital more than 200 days in 2017.
In fact, since October 2018, RDRH has had multiple Level 3 OCPs. This is a situation where a critically congested hospital allows sicker patients to be transferred in, while less critical local Red Deer patients are pushed out to surrounding hospitals.
Not enough beds for patients
Red Deer Regional Hospital now services at least 400,000 Central Albertans, but has not had a bed increase in over 16 years.
If funding does not occur immediately, it will not receive a new bed before 25 years from the last expansion.
A 2015 Report shows that there is a shortage of 96 beds, 18 emergency stretchers and 3 operating rooms in RDRH.
As a result, patients sleep in chairs and sometimes in bathtubs, which is completely unacceptable.
A cardiac catheterization lab in Red Deer will reduce deaths
27 lives could be saved each year with a cardiac catheterization lab and other enhanced cardiac services in Red Deer.
Lack of quick access to Catheterization to treat blocked arteries causes Central Albertans a 50% higher death and disability rate than people in Edmonton and Calgary.
A Cardiac Catheterization Lab in Red Deer would save lives, reduce the length of hospital stay, reduce re-hospitalization rates, and reduce disability after a heart attack.
Moreover, patients undergoing routine cardiac diagnostic and interventional procedures would not have to travel to Edmonton and Calgary for treatment.
RDRH is by far the busiest regional hospital in the province, with 50% of its patients at any one time from outside of Red Deer.
RDRH currently employs over 3,500 people.
RDRH averages 108% occupancy rate for adult beds.
More than 60% of Central Alberta patients on the ‘waitlist’ for elective surgery wait TOO LONG for life saving surgery because there are NOT ENOUGH operating rooms to care for patients.
Why is this so important?
The lack of quality care has direct impact on the quality of life in Central Alberta. Red Deer Regional Hospital has had several development plans over the years, and had been listed as a priority project prior to 2016, but in fall of 2016, it was dropped off the infrastructure funding list with little or no explanation as to why.
Today, we are demanding care by pushing and calling for the hospital expansion to be funded now. We will not stop until we have a fully funded, completed and operational advanced care hospital in Central Alberta. We need to bring healthcare closer to home. We must save lives.
Demand care in your community!
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