News: B.C. to add larger ambulances for obese patients to fleet
Updated: Apr. 04, 2011
While it’s not news to anyone at this point that there is an obesity epidemic happening in this country, it
While it’s not news to anyone at this point that there is an obesity epidemic happening in this country, it might suprise you to learn that the impact of Canada’s obesity rate is now extending to emergency care vehicles. The B.C. Ambulance Service (BCAS) has announced that it will be adding custom vehicles for obese patients to its fleet in early May, reports CBC News.
BCAS is not the first to respond to the obesity crisis in this way. Larger ambulances have already been added to fleets in cities in Australia, as well as Boston and Texas in the United States. Here in Canada, Calgary and Ottawa are already using larger vehicles to transport obese patients, too.
"It’s like all of our healthcare models. We have changing, shifting demands," said Dan Froom, executive director of BCAS. "We are rising to the challenge and meeting the demand."
Do you think that the need for larger ambulances is simply a sign of the times? Or is it a wake-up call that more needs to be done in the fight against obesity in this country? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
Related:
‘ 5 ways Canadians are fighting obesity
‘ The real costs of obesity
‘ What is obesity?
