Saskatoon ambulance window broken as paramedics treat patient

Paramedics who are trying to save a life really don’t need to deal with vandalism to their vehicles at the same time.

But, according to Medavie Health Services West, that’s exactly what happened in Saskatoon early on Sunday morning.

“While on scene for a serious patient the driver side window of our ambulance was smashed out,” the ambulance service wrote in a statement.

“The ambulance was parked on 20th Street between Second and Third Ave. Paramedics had to transport the patient with the smashed out window to (Royal University Hospital) as the patient was in serious condition and couldn’t be delayed for a new ambulance.”

Troy Davies, Medavie’s director of public affairs, asked anyone with information on the incident to contact police, and added that incidents like the one on Sunday add additional stress to an already difficult job.

“Thankfully, due to some favourable weather conditions this did not affect our ability to treat a very serious patient, but this is a stressor that paramedics shouldn’t be dealing with,” Davies said in a statement.

Medavie said its paramedics responded to 40,408 calls in 2022, a big jump over the 39,836 calls fielded in 2021.