JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Although the pandemic seems to be on a decline, COVID-19 has caused problems for healthcare workers in Mississippi.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are in a state of emergency because of a personnel shortage. Officials said the pandemic has played a major role in the shortage. Many EMTs and paramedics have battled burnout and inadequate pay for services.
Clyde Deschamp, EMS director for Mississippi Health Care Alliance, said a recent survey proves record lows.
“We did a survey back about two weeks ago, and the shortage actually ranges from about a low of 10% to 48% at one service,” he explained.
Deschamp said first responders provide emergency services to patients before they ever see a hospital. When they arrive, it’s often packed, and EMS can’t do their job.
“It’s when an ambulance gets to a hospital. The hospital has no bed there, no place to put a patient, so they stay on the ambulance cot, and they run them up on the wall where they can end up staying sometimes for six or eight hours. And so, there’s nobody in the hospital to take care of these people, so the people have to continue treating them during that period of time up until there is a bed eventually available, so they can turn them over to the hospital. But while they’re waiting? You’re absolutely correct. If another 911 call comes in, it may be a case where there’s not another ambulance available to make that number one call. So, it’s kind of a downward spiral that kind of feeds on itself, and we have to find some type of way to break that cycle,” he said.
According to the American Ambulance Association, the crisis among EMS nationally showed turnover rates of more than 30% per year. When it comes to rural areas across the country, nearly a third of agencies are in jeopardy of closing because they can’t cover service costs.
Currently, leaders at the Mississippi State Capitol are fighting for better legislation for EMS.