Rising gunfire in Ottawa must end, trauma director urges

Gun violence is on the rise in Ottawa and it's time for substantial legislative change to stop it, says the Ottawa Hospital's director of medical trauma.

To help push for that change, Dr. Jacinthe Lampron has joined a new organization called Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns, made up of family physicians, trauma surgeons like her, psychiatrists and nurses.

"Almost every time I'm on call at the trauma centre I get my hands soaked in blood from victims … We have to do extreme measures of resuscitation, blood transfusion, and bring them to the operating room to do our best to save them," Lampron told CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning Tuesday.

"This is our job. But we would prefer [preventing] all those injuries."

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Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns officially launched Monday and is asking for stricter gun controls to stop what it calls a public health crisis.

The group wants a ban on handguns and assault weapons, as well as the passage of Bill C-71 — firearms legislation that's currently before the Senate.

The bill proposes an overhaul of background checks, would introduce new record-keeping requirements for those selling guns, and place more restrictions on the transportation of firearms.

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In Ottawa, six of the past eight years have brought new records for shootings.

Most recently, in 2018, there were a record-high 78 shootings.

"We see the consequences," Lampron said.

"I have sometimes had to tell a family that the victim is deceased or that they will never walk anymore … or they may need a permanent kidney replacement … We're concerned this will continue to escalate."