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
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests about relationship with Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Trial begins for Winnipeg serial killer who claims he was mentally ill
The trial of a man who admits he killed four women in Winnipeg is set to begin Wednesday, and a law professor says lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have multiple hurdles to clear for a defence of mental illness.
These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
New Canadian study could be a lifesaver for thousands suffering from CTE
A first-of-its-kind Canadian research study is working towards a major medical breakthrough for a brain disorder, believed to be caused by repeated head injuries, that can only be detected after death.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Indonesia. Until now, little was known about why the boat capsized.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.