Quebec will take stock of the situation in emergencies as Christmas approaches

The Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, must provide an update on Wednesday morning on the situation in the emergency room as the holiday season approaches.

He will hold a press briefing as hospitals continue to overflow in Quebec. The situation is red in several regions with establishments which receive a quantity of patients exceeding their reception capacity.

According to the Indexsanté website, the general occupancy rate in Quebec rose early Wednesday morning to 120%, with regions more affected than others, such as those of Greater Montreal. In Lanaudière, the occupancy rate in emergency rooms is 178%, the highest in the province. It was 148% in the Laurentians, 135% in Laval, 129% in Montérégie and 125% in Montreal.

Last week, the national director of public health, Dr. Luc Boileau, recalled that three respiratory viruses – influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus – continue to put pressure on the health network. He appealed to Quebecers for good citizenship, inviting them to avoid gatherings when symptoms appear.

Minister Dubé set up a crisis unit nearly two months ago to find short-term solutions to relieve emergency room congestion. Three measures were announced in November. One of them is the opening of specialist nurse practitioner clinics. A total of five clinics have been confirmed so far.

The teams in these establishments take care of patients who are referred by the first-line access counter from the emergency room or the pediatric 811 line. The nurses can provide medical care, such as prescribing medication , determining medical treatments and diagnosing diseases.

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