Meadow Lake welcomes new ambulance to its fleet

A new ambulance has been making its rounds in Meadow Lake and area after the Meadow Lake Ambulance Service, (MLAS) purchased a new unit worth $167, 000.

The new unit comes equipped with a power assist stretcher to help with patient and staff safety, as well as reliability. Among other new equipment upgrades, the ambulance also has a new cardiac monitor, valued at $35,000.

Thanks to a $37,000 donation from the Meadow Lake Hospital Foundation and a donation of $35,000 from the Meadow Lake Lions Club a second cardiac monitor was also purchased for the use in an existing ambulance.

With the combined donation of $72,000 dollars MLAS purchased a LUCAS CPR device, which provides consistent CPR to patients whose hearts have stopped beating, freeing EMS responders to provide additional patient care.

MLAS advanced care paramedic Frank Munroe said the new ambulance will bring reliability.

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“The amount we travel and the roads we travel on take their toll on our ambulances,” Munroe stated. “The two new cardiac monitors allow us to better treat our cardiac patients.”

MLAS has four ambulances in their service, which typically travel anywhere from 250,000 – 300,000 km. per year.

The new ambulance will become the primary emergency medical response vehicle, with two additional ambulances and a back-up.

Despite the new addition, the MLAS will continue to operate on four ambulances, taking the oldest unit, a 2003, out of service. The second oldest unit, a 2008, will transition into the back-up.

“Updating out EMS infrastructure shows the health regions ongoing commitment to allocating resources to assist our local medical professionals in providing an excellent level of care in our community” Meadow Lake mayor Gary Vidal said.

“I am very grateful to the Meadow Lake Lions Club and Meadow Lake Hospital Foundation for their financial support in the purchase of the new equipment. The work of these two organizations’ incredible volunteers is one of the things that makes Meadow Lake a great place to live, work and raise our families,” he added.

Vidals praise was echoed by the RM of Meadow Lake Reeve Rodger Zuchotzki.

“The RM council is appreciative that this new ambulance is here to provide care to the ratepayers. Upgrades are always appreciated. On behalf of the RM and council, we commend this new development,” Zuchtozki said in a news release.

The Prairie North Health Region has also assisted in the purchasing of a new ambulance in Cut Knife.

cswiderski@jpbg.ca

On twitter: @coltonswiderski