MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
July 5, 2017
LONDON, Ontario –On July 5, 2017 London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) will be marking National Injury Prevention Day by lighting its Victoria Hospital B Tower interior atrium green.
LHSC joins major landmarks across Canada, such as the CN Tower, the Peace Bridge and Vancouver City Hall, as well as local sites, such as the Fountain at the Forks in London, which will also be lighting their structures green.
The goal of National Injury Prevention Day is to raise awareness of preventable injuries and help Canadians live long, full lives.
The number one cause of death for people ages 1-44 is preventable injury. In fact, between those ages injury causes more death than all other causes combined. In collaboration with Parachute Canada, LHSC will join in the effort to raise awareness about preventable injuries.
As the regional Lead Trauma Centre for Southwest Ontario, LHSC treats those most severely injured and often the injuries are both preventable and predictable.
During the summer there is a remarkable increase in the number of traumatic injuries.
In the summer of 2016, LHSC treated 336 patients for traumatic injuries:
- About 65 per cent of trauma patients were male
- July was the month of peak injuries with 107 severe trauma patients
About half of all trauma patient injuries are the result of a motor vehicle collision.
“Distracted driving is the leading cause of driving fatalities across Canada and it is entirely preventable,” says Brandon Batey, LHSC Injury Prevention Specialist.
“Distracted driving is not only talking and texting on a cellphone. It also includes eating while driving, changing the radio station – basically anything that takes your mind, eyes, or hands away from the task of driving increases the risk of a crash.”
Of the many other preventable traumatic injuries seen in the trauma unit last summer, injuries due to falls from heights accounted for 22 per cent and injuries involving all-terrain vehicles made up seven per cent.
LHSC will be lighting the interior atrium at Victoria Hospital B Tower green from 7 a.m. on July 5 to 7 a.m. on July 6, 2017.
About London Health Science Centre
London Health Sciences Centre has been at the forefront of medicine in Canada for 142 years and offers the broadest range of specialized clinical services in Ontario. Building on the traditions of its founding hospitals to provide compassionate care in an academic teaching setting, London Health Sciences Centre is home to Children’s Hospital, University Hospital, Victoria Hospital, the Kidney Care Centre, two family medical centres, and two research institutes – Children’s Health Research Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute. As a leader in medical discovery and health research, London Health Sciences Centre has a history of over 65 international and national firsts and attracts top clinicians and researchers from around the world. As a regional referral centre, London Health Sciences Centre cares for the most medically complex patients including critically injured adults and children in southwestern Ontario and beyond. The hospital’s nearly 15,000 staff, physicians, students and volunteers provide care for more than one million patient visits a year. For more information visit www.lhsc.on.ca
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For media inquiries contact:
Bärbel Hatje
Corporate Communications and Public Relations
London Health Sciences Centre
519-685-8500, ext. 35947
barbel.hatje@lhsc.on.ca
After-hours and weekend assistance:
Call LHSC Switchboard at 519-685-8500 and ask to page the communication consultant on-call.
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