Vic: Bushfire disaster worse than Bali bombings: burns doctor
09 Feb 2009 12:16 PM
MELBOURNE, Feb 9 AAP - A doctor treating Victoria's bushfire burns victims at Melbourne's The Alfred hospital says the magnitude of the disaster is worse than the Bali bombings.
With 20 serious burns patients admitted to The Alfred in 24 hours, emergency department doctor De Villiers Smit said the scale of the disaster was worse than what he saw after the Bali bombings.
Dr Smit said all the bushfire burns victims patients admitted to The Alfred had burns to more than 30 per cent of their bodies.
"This is by far the worst disaster I've ever been involved with," Dr Smit told reporters in Melbourne.
The Alfred's burns unit surgical director Heather Clelland said several of the bushfire burns victims remain on life support.
"We've had 20 patients admitted to The Alfred hospital burns unit," Dr Clelland said.
"These are patients with major burns injuries, with or without significant smoke inhalation injuries as well.
"We admitted 20 patients in 24 hours and that is I think a record number of patients in that period of time."
