Ontario Deploys Burn Specialists to Alberta Following Military Base Fire

Ontario is deploying 28 health-care professionals to Alberta to assist in the treatment of soldiers severely injured in a deadly fire at CFB Wainwright, as first reported by CBC Toronto.

Premier Doug Ford announced Wednesday that the deployment includes surgeons and nurses specializing in burn care, along with supporting equipment. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith confirmed that the assistance includes 19 burn unit nurses and five operating room nurses. Smith noted that three of the injured soldiers are from Ontario and are in "very dire health conditions."

The fire resulted in four deaths and 39 injuries. Smith reported that of the 27 patients remaining in the hospital, 13 are in critical condition, with some suffering burns covering 30 to 80 per cent of their bodies.

Speaking with CBC Radio's Here and Now, Dr. Alan David Rogers, a surgeon at the Ross Tilley Burn Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, noted that a tragedy of this magnitude would likely overwhelm nearly any health-care system in the world. He explained that most provinces have only one or two burn centres and a limited number of dedicated beds, often operating near or over capacity.

Rogers, who is one of two Sunnybrook surgeons on standby, stated that the complex nature of extensive burns requires multiple surgeries and months of hospital care. He added that a surgeon from Hamilton, Ont., is also prepared to deploy to help ease the strain on Alberta's local health-care staff.