Huron County Council Approves the Signing of an Extension to the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care Transfer Payment Agreement

by Bob Montgomery

Huron County Council has approved the signing of an extension to the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care Transfer Payment Agreement with the Province.

Huron County Director of Emergency Services Jeff Horseman says Huron County paramedics have been involved in the program for a couple of years now and they have to renew the Transfer Payment Agreement every year. Horseman says the new agreement will come into effect on April 1st.

Horseman says their program is continuing to grow but unfortunately the funding has been set at the same level for the past couple of years and it doesn't look like it's going to go up for next year or the following year at this time. “Right now we're providing the program within the funded amount but that's becoming more difficult to do as time goes on and the program expands.”

Horseman says the shortage of staff in a number of areas is pushing the increased demand for their service. He says the number of clients they're seeing month to month or even week to week is growing, so it's becoming quite a large and robust program that they're providing for the community in Huron County.