A performance by the popular Saguenay band Angine de Poitrine at the Montreal Jazz Festival on Saturday night ended with six people being taken to hospital after medical incidents during the show.
Urgences-santé said its teams took charge of 10 people during the event.
Six were transported to hospital, while four others refused transport after being assessed by paramedics.
A post shared by Festival International de Jazz de Montréal (@festivaljazzmtl)
Benjamin Dansereau-Leclerc, head of operations at Urgences-santé, said paramedics were called in by the festival’s on-site first aid team, which provides initial medical assessments and treats people at the event before transferring some patients to Urgences-santé crews.
According to Urgences-santé, those treated experienced a variety of medical problems.
“There’s a whole range of issues,” said Dansereau-Leclerc.
The organization said the calls included falls, traumatic injuries and cases of intoxication. He did not provide further details about the specific medical conditions of each patient.
Some of the six people taken to hospital were in serious condition. However, Urgences-santé said paramedics did not fear for anyone’s life.
The agency said it does not receive updates from hospitals and could not say whether any of the patients had since been discharged.
While responding to 10 patients at the same time requires additional coordination and resources, Urgences-santé said the situation is not out of the ordinary for large summer events.
The agency said it plans for medical coverage at major festivals and that similar numbers of medical calls can occur during large outdoor events.
Urgences-santé is reminding people attending festivals to be aware of their surroundings, especially in large crowds.
It also recommends staying well hydrated, particularly when alcohol consumption is combined with hot weather, taking breaks when needed and seeking cooler areas to help prevent medical emergencies.
In a post on social media, the Jazz Festival’s general manager said: “A historic night at the Festival… One of the biggest crowds in our history, thanks to Angine! And an energy like we’ve rarely seen.”
