EMSA Services Strained Due To Sharp Increase In COVID-19 Calls In Tulsa Area

Tulsa’s ambulance service, EMSA, reports a near record level of calls as they respond to around 50 calls involving COVID-19 patients each day. The extra patients are filling hospitals and the extra calls are leading to longer waits in emergency rooms, and sometimes delayed ambulance responses.

“In late May or early June, we were down to six to eight COVID-19 related calls a day. Right now, there may be between 40 and 50. That’s a huge increase and it’s directly tied to the Delta variant,” Adam Paluka, who handles Public Affairs for EMSA’s Eastern Division, said.

On a normal summer day, EMSA handles 250 calls each day for Tulsa, Bixby, Jenks and Sand Springs. Paluka said now EMSA averages about 300 calls a day, and non-emergency transports are up too, by 75 calls a day.

“When a crew is at the hospital and there's not a bed available, the crew has to stay with the patient until there is a bed, so that can take a unit off the street,” said Paluka.

Tuesday, the State Department of Health reported that in Tulsa County, there are 409 people hospitalized with COVID-19, and 131 of them are in ICU.

“Call volume is up, COVID is back with a vengeance, and we are still trying to mitigate some staffing shortages,” said Paluka. "All of those things together we're trying to handle best we can, but it's difficult."