Seeking more paramedic funding

Hastings-Quinte paramedics have been active during COVID-19 and with preparations of school openings.

Some members of the Emergency Measures Committee have indicated steps should be taken to ensure this work continues.

Chief of Paramedic Services Doug Socha reported at a virtual meeting of the committee on Wednesday that the service has hit a high mark in performing swabs since the beginning of the pandemic operations.

Socha says they hit the 20,000 test mark this week.

The work was originally carried out by public health.

“Public health shifted to more contact tracing and we sort of moved in to do swabbing.”

Quinte West Councillor Terry Cassidy asked whether or not the program is financially secure.

“The funding for community paramedicine has been good and we’ve got something going that’s special. I’m hoping and assuming that many other jurisdictions in Ontario are doing the same thing.

He continued, “Not just confined to the pandemic but secure funding that we need to continue to have the ability to do community paramedics.”

Socha replied he’s already making some proposals to the province.

“Really it’s about trying to maintain that stable funding so we were looking at trying to improve on that. I’ve got a couple of proposals in to Ontario health to maintain that.”

The province provided almost $742,000 in March to fund six community paramedics for 12-hour shifts seven days a week for 16 weeks and with the program being extended.

The hope is to continue it into 2021, but at the end of 2020 the provincial funding is set to end. Any extension would be indicated in the next couple of months.

Socha also pointed out a group of paramedic chiefs have been working on a regional proposal as well.

“There’s also been a group of Eastern Ontario paramedic chiefs that have been working collaboratively on a regional response and how we can address that, really with community paramedic being the base funding to really try and have those teams that are mobile and nimble and able to respond to whatever gap is occurring at the time. We continue to maintain what we have and we’re always looking to try and maintain a stable funding platform.”

The community paramedicine program means the paramedics work in preventive care as well.