Traffic is getting worse in the emergency rooms of Quebec hospitals, with the occupancy rate of stretchers exceeding 200% in certain establishments.
Posted at 2:28 p.m.
While the Index Santé site indicated an occupancy of 117% across the province on Thursday, this percentage increased to 131% on Friday.
In the afternoon, there were 5,091 patients in the emergency room, of whom 1,705 were still waiting to see a doctor.
The most affected region was Outaouais, with 178% occupancy. Two establishments exceeded 200%, namely the Gatineau hospital (207%) and the Hull hospital (208%).
Montreal is the only other sector where hospitals had such numbers. The Royal Victoria Hospital had a rate of 209% and the Montreal General Hospital was right at 200%.
Quebec government data shows the average emergency room wait time in the province is five hours and the average time patients spend on a stretcher is more than 16 hours.
A Montreal emergency doctor says overcrowding is trending back to pre-pandemic levels, a situation he says is both entirely predictable and avoidable.
The Dr Mitch Shulman says the pressure on hospitals always gets worse after Christmas, but adds the provincial government hasn’t done enough to inform people of alternatives to emergency rooms where they can seek treatment.
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