MONTREAL – Traffic is getting worse in the emergency rooms of Quebec hospitals, with the occupancy rate of stretchers exceeding 200% during the day in certain establishments.
While the Index Santé site indicated an occupancy of 117% across the province on Thursday, this percentage rose to 131% on Friday in the middle of the afternoon before falling back to 125% around 6 p.m.
At the start of the evening, there were 5,508 patients in the emergency room, of whom 2,370 were still waiting to see a doctor.
The Laval and Laurentides regions were the most affected, with their occupancy rate reaching 155%.
On the island of Montreal, two establishments exceeded 200% occupancy: the Montreal General Hospital (203%) and the Jewish General Hospital (225%).
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 nearly 16 and a half hours.
Predictable and avoidable traffic
A Montreal emergency doctor says overcrowding is trending back to pre-pandemic levels, a situation he says is both entirely predictable and avoidable.
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.
“Every year as the holidays approach, people do everything they can to stay home for Christmas, which is understandable, it’s a family holiday,” said Dr. Shulman, who is a physician treating at the Royal Victoria and General hospitals in Montreal, during an interview.
“And then, from Boxing Day onwards, people start to invade the emergency rooms,” which coincides with a period when few clinics and medical offices are open.
The average emergency room wait time in the province on Friday was five hours, and the average time patients spent on a stretcher was more than 16 hours.
Dr. Shulman believes the provincial government should better explain to people that they can call the 811 health line for medical questions or check if their pharmacist can help them.
“You would be amazed at the people I see in the emergency room who have absolutely no idea that there are other resources, all they know is the emergency, so they come with a headache. throat,” Dr. Shulman reported.
“A young, healthy person does not need to see me in the emergency room for a sore throat.”
Ahead of the holiday season, the Ministry of Health released a statement urging citizens to choose the right resource for their illness. He reminds you to only go to the emergency room in serious situations, such as chest pain, difficulty breathing or serious injuries.
During previous peaks, officials said up to 50% of people who went to emergency rooms were for non-urgent cases. Dr. Shulman said once a patient is enrolled in the emergency room, it is difficult to redirect them. He thinks a targeted advertising campaign could help solve this problem.
“Look at all the money (that the government is wasting) on all kinds of advertising, they couldn’t spend that money explaining to people, on radio, television and newspapers, that there are resources that they can use and explain to them how to access it. Make it easier for them to access help,” he said.
Dr. Shulman expects the situation to persist. “About two weeks after attending Christmas or New Year parties, all respiratory viruses start to circulate,” he warned. And as respiratory syncytial virus, COVID-19, flu, colds and strep throat circulate, children will return to class and another wave will come two weeks later, he added.
“For the next month or two, you will see the entire emergency department overwhelmed.”
