2 ambulances, 2 paramedic response units coming to Regina: Ministry of Health

Regina will soon see two more ambulances and two additional paramedic response units on the road.

Saskatchewan's Ministry of Health announced it will be phasing in 24.5 full-time equivalent paramedic positions to the province's capital over the next months.

It comes after calls to EMS in Regina jumped from nearly 27,000 calls in the 2020 fiscal year to approximately 31,000 calls in the 2021 fiscal year.

That works out to an increase of more than 14 per cent.

"We've heard from residents and paramedics that we need to do more to improve ambulance response times," said Saskatchewan Minister of Health Paul Merriman in a news release.

According to the province, a paramedic response unit has one advanced care paramedic who can help primary care paramedics on more complex calls or can arrive at an emergency before the ambulance and begin providing immediate care until an ambulance arrives.

Along with the new frontline positions, Saskatchewan says it will hire two new EMS coordinators to support paramedics throughout the province with clinical education and training.

The new positions are expected to cost 2.4 million dollars annually but will be funded through the Saskatchewan Health Authority's existing budget.

"Investing in additional ambulance capacity is not just about adding resources, it's about improving the quality of life for our paramedics and ensuring the timely delivery of critical care to those in need in our province," said Rod Mackenzie, SHA's executive director for provincial services and community care, in a news release.

The move comes after the province announced plans for additional recruitment and training access for paramedics.

One hundred new spaces are being created to train primary care paramedics at Saskatchewan Polytechnic and Regional Colleges, taking the province's capacity from 152 to 252.