The federal government is now stocking up on ventilators for public health units across the country as concerns are raised about the H1N1 flu pandemic intensifying this fall, as expected.
As the pandemic spreads globally, Canadian public health findings show victims here have been younger and sicker, and have required more ventilators than most other countries.
An infectious disease expert at Mount Sinai Hospital told the Globe and Mail that there aren't enough ventilators to go around.
The government will spend about $3.7 million to buy 370 ventilators, raising the country's stockpile to 500, the newspaper reported.
H1N1 has killed 29 people in Canada and hospitalized 663 as of last Friday.
