Liberal MP Pam Damoff faints during question period, is now receiving care and ‘doing well’: staff

Liberal MP Pam Damoff fainted briefly at her desk in the House of Commons on Thursday but is now receiving medical care.

The news comes after Damoff, who represents the Toronto-area riding of Oakville-North Burlington, slumped over at her desk during question period while Omar Alghabra, the parliamentary secretary to the foreign-affairs minister, was responding to an opposition question about trade.

Damoff sits just behind Alghabra and so was captured on the House of Commons cameras, which only zone in on whoever is speaking at the time.

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Marco Mendicino, a fellow Liberal who was sitting near Damoff, then noticed something was wrong and waved for the Speaker of the House of Commons to suspend question period so that medical attention could be provided.

Damoff sat up after a few seconds and looked around, appearing confused.

Multiple MPs with health training ran over to help, including Liberals Doug Eyolfson and Carolyn Bennett and former Liberal cabinet minister Jane Philpott, who now sits as an independent, all physicians. So did Conservative Colin Carrie, a chiropractor.

The Prime Minister’s Office says Damoff left the chamber on her own and was given water in the inner lobby.

A spokesperson for the Ottawa Paramedic Service confirmed an ambulance was dispatched to Parliament Hill for a loss of consciousness and that one individual was transported to hospital in stable condition.

Hilary Lawson, chief of staff to Damoff, also confirmed to Global News that the first-term MP is being treated.

“At this point I can share that MP Damoff is doing well and is receiving medical care,” said Lawson.

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Damoff was elected for the first time to the House of Commons in 2015 and currently serves as the parliamentary secretary to the minister of health.

Prior to her time in federal politics, she served five years as an Oakville town councillor.

At the end of question period, Liberal House leader Bardish Chagger thanked everyone who put politics aside and jumped up to help a colleague.

House Speaker Geoff Regan added that Canadians who normally watch vigorous partisan debate would have been heartened to see the response.

With files from Global’s Bryan Mullan.

With files from the Canadian Press.