(Quebec) The situation in the health system in Quebec “will continue to be difficult” over the next few weeks, warned Thursday the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé.
He called on nurses to come and lend a hand to Info-Santé. Very popular, the 8-1-1 line received no less than 10,000 calls on Wednesday.
“The 8-1-1 works very well, but we lack staff to answer the phone,” said Mr. Dubé in a press scrum at the National Assembly.
“I invite nurses who are retired, or who are in private agencies, to come and help us in the coming weeks. We could take up to 5,000 nurses,” he added.
The minister notes that the number of influenza cases in the province continues to climb. He invites all Quebecers to get vaccinated, recalling that the vaccine is free.
He also urged parents to keep their children home if they show flu-like symptoms. Currently, 120,000 children are absent from school, according to the most recent data.
During question period, Liberal health critic André Fortin criticized the minister for his poor results. The emergency room is overflowing, he said.
“In Repentigny this morning, Madam President, it’s 181% occupancy in the emergency room, in Sorel, 194%, in Buckingham, 208%, and in Mont-Laurier, 300% occupancy in the emergency room . »
He said that every day, up to 1,500 Quebecers leave the emergency room without seeing a doctor. “It is the failure of the Minister of Health. Letting people go without care is not done, ”said Mr. Fortin.