Police credit Calgary emergency trauma doctors with low homicide stats

The number of homicides in Calgary has dropped nearly in half in the past year — and the rate is at its lowest since 2010.

Insp. Monty Sparrow told Global News the Calgary Police Service is constantly working to suppress violence in the city and bring those numbers down.

“We do our best to ensure those that we believe are capable of committing homicide are being monitored and managed,” Sparrow said.

He said there very easily could have been more murders last year — with 60 handgun incidents and numerous knives used in violent assaults.

Sparrow said much of the credit goes to Calgary’s emergency trauma doctors.

“What we are seeing is if the victim can get to hospital, there’s a very, very good chance that they will live,” Sparrow said.

Dr. Rohan Lall is a trauma surgeon at the Foothills Medical Centre.

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Dr. Rohan Lall is a trauma surgeon at the Foothills Medical Centre and the director of medical trauma for the province.

“Absolutely, that’s what we train for. That’s exactly what we hope to do,” Lall said of the life-saving successes.

He said there’s a constant effort to improve life-saving techniques, such as methods used to stop bleeding.

“Ultimately, trauma patients die because of bleeding,” he said. “The quicker we can stop that bleeding, the less chance of them getting into trouble, dying from their injuries.”

Lall said there have also been renovations to improve efficiencies, including a new operative suite.

“Now you have a patient, you’re not sure: should he go to the operating room [or] should he go to the interventional suite? Now we just go to one spot and bring everybody there, so way better for patient care.”

Dr. Rohan Lall said there is a constant effort to improve life saving techniques, such as methods used to stop bleeding.

He said he’s seen constant improvements over his 13-year career, and there is huge satisfaction every time a life is saved.

“Sometimes we do lose patients, but the ones that survive, especially when they’re on the brink, really stick in your mind and you feel like you’ve done something good,” he said.

So far in 2019, there have been two homicides in Calgary, but police said that number could have easily been higher.

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