Rapid Response Unit in Sackville extended for 6 months
Sackville’s Ambulance NB station will keep its Rapid Response Unit for another six months, according to Medavie spokesperson Eric Robichaud.
The unit consists of a smaller vehicle, equipped like an ambulance but with no stretcher, and staffed with one paramedic. Since it does not transfer patients, the Rapid Response Unit is often available to provide care on the scene when ambulances might be busy.
Rapid Response Units have been used since 2018 in five rural communities with long emergency response times caused by a lack of available ambulances.
The unit was brought into use in Sackville in November of 2021 in response to the dramatic reduction of emergency room hours at the Sackville hospital. It operates seven days a week, from 6pm to 6am. The unit is based in Sackville but moves around the region.
The ER in Sackville is currently open only eight hours per day, from 8am to 4pm.… Continue