HEALTH. With the end of the holiday season, emergency room occupancy and waiting rates skyrocket. All hospitals in Chaudière-Appalaches are affected by these typical phenomena recurring annually in January.
As of Friday, January 3, Saint-Georges hospital had a stretcher occupancy rate of 167%. Patients waited an average of three hours and 51 minutes before seeing a doctor.
The Hôtel-Dieu de Lévis fared better with 153% and 2h53min. The Montmagny hospital had a longer waiting time (3h11min), but less occupied stretchers (130%). Thetford hospital was the one with the worst results (180%, 4h54min).
These emergency rooms were also very busy in December. Average stretcher occupancy rates exceeded the 100% mark daily until December 15. After a lull falling up to 70% on Christmas Day, they went back into the red on December 27. As for the average waiting time, it exceeded four hours from December 29 to 1is January.
Alternatives
The Chaudière-Appalaches Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS) points out the existence of alternatives to treat non-urgent problems that do not require immediate care.
Citizens can contact Info-Santé and Info-Social at 811, make an appointment with a professional on Clic Santé, go to the pharmacy, visit their CLSC and go to a medical clinic with or without an appointment.
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