Man taken to hospital on TriMet bus due to lack of ambulances

[@downhomebiggie1299]

The solution is to pay their Paramedics about 30% more and make their working conditions safer. Don't decrease the level of care!

[@dylantomberlin901]

I agree. Could afford to give the payments a raise if it the ambulance service was publicly owned and not giving shareholders dividends.

[@moniquelahti759]

It would have been amazing to send a Firefighter EMT on the bus with the patient. Kudos to the TriMet driver, Joseph Wiggins!

[@mattalley4330]

So not only do you get charged an arm and a leg for an ambulance ride but they might not even be available if you call one?! What the actual hell, American health care system?!

[@24YOA]

• Not enough ambulances • Relatively high staffing requirements (most ambulances have x2 EMT or x1 EMT & 1 Paramedic, Portland requires x2 Paramedics) • 911 abuse (people taking the ambulance when there is minimal or no threat of an imminent emergency) • If a patient wants to go via ambulance, even for something as minor as a papercut or a blister, the ambulance is LEGALLY REQUIRED to take them, in spite of the pathetic nature of the 911 call • A private company is the majority supplier of ambulances, instead of the Fire service Many problems in this system, not just US healthcare.

[@RISQUE1963]

Why not retrofit some of the old buses that still run but are out of commission as temporary EMT transports. They could be used when there are no ambulances readily available. The busses could have life support systems that could keep a patient breathing until they get to the hospital...just a thought.

[@thecasper911]

The county medical director needs to have a medical emergency and not have an ambulance available! Then maybe they would get off the high horse of 2 paramedics on an ambulance! Unless you have an EMT/driver onboard with these 2 medics as well, you have one medic being a driver, not a provider! The national standard for ambulances is 1 EMT and 1 Paramedic, so get with the program for the betterment of the community you're supposed to serve! And his excuse of burnout by medics when they are solo is a crock! When you double the number of ambulances on the street by going to the 1 and 1 model, you decrease the number of responses and likely decrease forced overtime and better the working conditions! If they need additional assistance, they should be getting that from the medics on the fire engines that responded with them like every other area in the US!

[@nancysaso4380]

My ambulance ride cost me over $2000.What did he get charged?

[@nancysaso4380]

(Before insurance)

[@Sufferingsassafrass]

I’m guessing trimet hasn’t incurred a cost yet. Would be gracious I’d they didn’t at all.

[@CosmosNut]

I hope this goes viral! PDX voters please wake up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Sufferingsassafrass]

At least national news! Embarrassing for the so-called ‘leaders’.

[@MrBearcatjew]

their is no war in bae sing sae

[@stevepettersen3283]

Ambulances all busy transporting the drug overdoses?

[@donaldgeorge3717]

Well ,Narcan is everywhere why not supply all low ri😢dership trimet busses with all emergency goodies

[@ezragonzalez8936]

Let's send another $300 billion to Ukraine, though! 😂