Paramedic Services Week Statement 2023

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As we celebrate Paramedic Services Week, Unifor recognizes with pride the vital contributions of emergency medical services workers who provide critical care and support to Canadians every day.

Paramedic Services Week is marked in Ontario May 21-27. This year's theme, 'Caring for our Communities,' highlights the crucial role that EMS professionals play in keeping our communities healthy and safe.

As emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, paramedics bring tremendous courage, dedication, skill, commitment, care, and compassion to their jobs as first responders. Paramedics are the highest medical authority on all pre-hospital medical emergencies and are frequently called upon to perform lifesaving skills from the point of patient contact until the transfer of care at a receiving medical facility.

The COVID-19 pandemic placed unprecedented challenges on EMS workers, who put their own health and safety at risk to provide essential care to those in need. We honour their sacrifices and unwavering dedication to their communities.

However, this year's Paramedic Services Week is especially significant, as Conservative provincial governments across the country attack our healthcare system by privatizing and cutting funding for health care services. This has placed an enormous burden on EMS workers, who have had to do more with fewer resources.

Our union strongly opposes these attacks and stands in solidarity with our EMS and healthcare members. We will protect their jobs, improve their working conditions, and ensure they have the necessary resources to continue providing critical care and support to Canadians.

As we celebrate Paramedic Services Week 2023, we must remember that the fight for a fully funded public healthcare system that prioritizes the needs of patients and healthcare workers alike continues.

Unifor remains committed to advocating for EMS and healthcare members, fighting back against attacks on healthcare, and working towards a future where every Canadian has access to quality public health care.

Share your appreciation of Paramedics – download shareable here.