Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates sticking up for Niagara EMS today at Queen's Park.
Gates says EMS needs an additional 1.16 million dollars to cope with growing demands and the province needs to help.
EMS has been dealing with a significant increase in the amount of calls they receive, leading to more than 15 thousand hours of wasted time outside hospitals while waiting to unload passengers.
Niagara EMS Chief Kevin Smith joining CKTB's Tom McConnell today saying that only 10 percent of all of the calls they receive are critical emergencies where seconds matter.
Smith is asking the region's Public Health Committee to help them fund a strategy that will explore utilizing community resources to ensure only the people who need the E-R are taken there.
Smith asked the committee to consider $1.16 million in funding to help do that.
Regional councillors will be considering the request on March 22nd.
Gates says something must be done, saying just yesterday he heard an awful story of a patient being forced to recover in a bathroom because it was the only open spot.
He says Niagara shouldn't be left to face this issue alone.