Date of issue: September 14, 2018
Printer: Colour Innovations
Series: Emergency Responders
Design: William Lam; illustration, Shiro Nishiguchi
Paramedics
Paramedics are healthcare professionals who assesses and provide medical care to a person with an acute illness or injury before he or she can be seen at a hospital. In Canada, they have several titles, such as emergency medical responder, primary care paramedic, or advanced care paramedic. Depending on the category to which they belong, their scope of practice varies and may include treatment such as oxygen administration, intubation, insertion of intravenous lines, or administration of medications (e.g., nitroglycerin, naloxone, and epinephrine).
Paramedics are employed in a variety of settings, including private ambulance services, hospitals, government agencies, and private-sector establishments. The Paramedic Association of Canada was established in 1984 and currently represents over 20,000 practitioners located in most provinces and the Canadian Armed Forces.
The Stamp
The stamp shows a determined-looking woman in the foreground. Behind her, two colleagues are tending to an ill/wounded individual. Their principal means of transport – land and air ambulance – are evident farther back. A helicopter about to land on an emergency access pad is seen on the first-day cover.
