BAPRAS Surgeon helps treat victims of Romanian nightclub fire

20 November 2015

David Cameron has praised a BAPRAS Surgeon who travelled to Romania to help treat victims of the fire at a Bucharest nightclub which left at least 50 dead and around 180 injured last month. 

The Prime Minister thanked Dr Sarah Pape from the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons and British Burns Association (BBA) and agreed to extend formal assistance to help treat the victims after the issue was raised during Prime Minister’s Questions on 4th November. Mr Cameron said: “I’m pleased to hear about Dr Pape’s visit and her selfless work to help.”

Dr Pape, Lead Consultant for Burns at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals, flew out to Bucharest on November 2 to help the Romanian medical teams dealing with the disaster. The devastating fire on October 30 broke out when fireworks ignited foam on the walls of the nightclub. 

Following a formal offer of assistance from the UK government, Dr Pape assessed around 50 patients in hospitals all over Bucharest and consulted with specialists from the UK’s burns networks as well as government representatives to arrange the transfer of nine patients to the UK for treatment. 

Patients are now being treated by burns specialists at hospitals in Newcastle, Chelmsford, Swansea, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham. All of the burn patients will require ongoing intensive care, weeks of surgery and months of rehabilitation, both physical and psychological.

Surgeons from the British Burns Association (BBA) have also provided their expertise to advise on treating those who suffered from smoke inhalation during the nightclub fire.  

BAPRAS and BBA member Dr Sarah Pape said: “The patients all received high quality intensive care in Romania but it was clear that extra support was needed. The response to this burns disaster has involved the most incredible international co-operation between clinicians and government departments. It has been a humbling experience for me and it has been a privilege to have been able to help.” 

ENDS

About BAPRAS
www.bapras.org.uk

BAPRAS, the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons, is the voice of plastic surgery in the UK.  It aims to increase the understanding of the professional specialty and scope of plastic surgery, promoting innovation in teaching, learning and research.

Founded in 1946 (originally as the British Association of Plastic Surgeons), today BAPRAS has over 800 members and is the professional representative body for reconstructive and aesthetic Plastic Surgeons providing services to patients on the NHS and privately in the UK.

Members of the public can find a member Plastic Surgeon in their area by logging on to www.bapras.org.uk. Anyone can check the GMC to find out if a surgeon is on the plastic surgery specialist register;http://www.gmc-uk.org/register/search/index.asp
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