Alberta's overwhelmed ICUs near capacity, military support being deployed
The Canadian Armed Forces has confirmed that it will be sending resources to help with Alberta's overwhelmed intensive care units facing unprecedented patient numbers during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aircraft and crews are being assembled to transfer ICU patients to hospitals in other parts of the country. The team is expected to be deployed to Alberta as early as Friday.
Details of the aeromedical transportation co-ordination are currently being developed.
"Our teams have already begun liaising and further planning," read a statement from National Defence.
Up to eight nurses with ICU training could also arrive in the province by the end of the weekend.
The province reached out to Public Safety Minister Bill Blair earlier this week calling for help from the federal government.
Blair replied Thursday saying the Canadian Red Cross could also be activated to provide additional support.
Alberta hospitals are seeing "unprecedented patient demand," said Dr. Verna Yiu, Alberta Health Services president and CEO.
As of Thursday, 226 of the 310 patients in ICU were admitted with COVID-19 and the five-day average for patients admitted into ICUs has been slightly more than 23 per day.
"It’s tragic that we are only able to keep pace with these sort of numbers because in part some of our ICU patients have passed away," said Yiu.
The scale of the crisis could be tipped within a day, when it's expected the maximum threshold of 350 total ICU patients will be reached and activate triage protocol.
Yiu also said that nothing is standard about the situation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Snow-covered bodies of 2 men from Senegal found in New York woods near Canadian border
Two men from Senegal froze to death were found in the snow of a wooded area close to the Canadian border, New York state police said.
For years she thought her son had died of an overdose. The police video changed all that
Austin Hunter Turner died in 2017, on a night that his mother has rewound and replayed again and again, trying to make sense of what happened.
This historical tavern in Toronto is closing after nearly 200 years
An historic downtown Toronto bar is closing its doors next week after nearly 200 years in business.
Vancouver rapper falls on ice during Canucks game performance
The Vancouver Canucks weren’t the only ones who stumbled during Thursday night’s game against the Dallas Stars.
Niagara Region 'proactively' declares state of emergency ahead of total solar eclipse
Niagara Region says it has declared a state of emergency 'out of an abundance of caution' as it prepares for an influx of visitors for next month’s total solar eclipse.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
Montreal doctors' breakthrough discovery about causes of cerebral palsy giving hope
A breakthrough discovery made by doctors at the Montreal Children's Hospital about the causes of cerebral palsy is giving new hope to one West Island family.
Feeling older than you are? It could be how you sleep
Not getting enough sleep may cause you to feel five to 10 years older than you really are, according to two new studies.
Social media can alter children's brains and impact mental health: neuroscientist
Neuroscientist Emma Duerden says social media can alter children's brains and have negative impacts on their mental health.