Calgary paramedics are now driving the first ambulance in Canada specifically designed for obese patients.

The ambulance can accommodate people weighing up to 1,000 pounds, so obese patients don't have to be reluctant about calling for medical help, said Grant Theirren, the superintendent of special operations for Emergency Medical Services.

Calgary's specially equipped ambulance can accommodate people weighing up to 1,000 pounds.
(CBC)

"We encourage everybody to call 911 regardless of their weight and situation," he said. "We have the tools to make things easier, to keep patient dignity, and offer them the professional service that every other patient has exposure to."

The upgrades to the ambulance include a specially designed air mattress that is inflated beneath the patient, making transfer to a widened stretcher easier and safer. A remote lift system then gently raises the stretcher into the ambulance.

Chad Campbell, a Calgary man who weighs more than 560 pounds, said it used to take four firemen and two paramedics to transport him to hospital.

"I think it will be a step in the right direction because now with obesity not just in Canada but in North America as a whole, the standard ambulance or EMS procedures aren't really geared to handle situations like that."

Paul Lapointe, a public education officer with EMS, said the ambulance, refitted at a cost of $30,000, should cut down injuries among paramedics transferring obese patients.

"Often when a paramedic is lifting up a patient, you want to use your legs, but your back is at a bit of a risk. Other than your back you can injure a leg or an arm depending on how you're moving them, so there is always a risk there."

The ambulance will be on call for people living within the Calgary Health Region, Theirren said.