Alberta’s provincial health authority wants to ensure that patients that were undergoing cancer treatment prior to being evacuated due to the forest fires in the Northwest Territories (NWT) keep getting the treatments they need.
Patients who were due to go for cancer assessment or treatment before evacuation are asked to contact the Alberta Health Services (AHS) Alberta Cancer Centre Transition Team at 1-888-432-8865 to begin the process of bringing them into the Alberta system and minimizing treatment disruption.
AHS, the Government of Alberta, and other provinces are working with the NWT to support patients who were impacted by the evacuations.
Currently, 55 continuing care patients from the NWT have been placed in spaces throughout Alberta and home care is preparing to support between 150 and 200 clients who have come to the province from the north.
Additionally, AHS is supporting around 30 obstetrical patients, four acute care patients, and 19 dialysis patients at a number of sites split between Calgary, Red Deer and Edmonton.
According to an Aug. 24 media release noting the addition of cancer care for evacuees, AHS notes that it is currently supporting the Government of Alberta evacuee reception centres in Edmonton, High Level, Fort McMurray, Valleyview, Fox Creek, Peace River, and Grande Prairie, providing “Addiction and Mental Health, Home Care, Public Health, Indigenous Wellness, and Pharmacy support.”
“AHS continues to provide healthcare services to all NWT residents requiring care as part of the longstanding agreement between the two provinces,” notes the release.
AHS has a website set up with more information for individuals impacted by the wildfires. It can be located online at www.albertahealthservices.ca/news/Page14070.aspx.
