Community Paramedics across the country are treating patients in their homes, trying to keep emergency rooms from filling up.  That is also happening in Saskatoon.  Medavie Health Services West spokesperson, Troy Davies, says last year their community paramedics did over 3,600 calls to patients.

He says a mixture of increased call volumes and Saskatoon’s growing population has put a strain on doctors and nurses, so community paramedics are highly valued for their ability to treat people at home in both rural and urban settings.

“It’s a lot of pressure that our doctors and nurses are under in the ERs. It’s crazy actually. So, to be able to have that ability to treat patients at home and have them signed up to get that is a whole new way of looking at paramedicine. It’s something that I think is going to grow across the country.”

Davies says because of the service, rural patients don’t need to be brought into large centres to be treated and can remain in the comfort of their own home.

“Any patients who might be getting cancer treatments who just need IVs or just need to be checked on, or other patients who need to be treated and released at home, they can sign up for this program.”

Davies says in the next several years, he thinks Medavie Community Paramedics could treat double, or even triple what they did last year as the industry continues to grow.