The situation is improving in pediatric hospitals after a difficult start to winter, but emergency rooms continue to be overflowing in Quebec. Traffic could even increase with the end-of-year holidays, which are conducive to the transmission of viruses.
“The situation remains very fragile in emergencies”, warns the DD Judy Morris, president of the Quebec Association of Emergency Physicians.
After a slight drop in traffic at Christmas, the occupancy rate in the province’s emergency rooms is on the rise again. It rose to 120% on Tuesday afternoon, according to Index Santé.
Emergencies are particularly overwhelmed in the Lanaudière region, which had an occupancy rate of 158%. At the start of the day, the emergency room at the Pierre Le-Gardeur hospital in Terrebonne was close to an occupancy rate of 183%.
“We cannot remain indifferent to what is happening in the emergency room”, warns the Dr Hoang Duong, internist who practices at the Pierre-Le Gardeur hospital.
When demand is very high, all hospital activities are disrupted. Operations may be postponed or patients may wait longer for care.
In Montreal, the emergency room of the Royal Victoria Hospital reached an occupancy rate of 212% on Tuesday, and that of the Verdun hospital, 192%. The emergency rooms at the Montreal General Hospital, the Jewish General Hospital and the Santa Cabrini Hospital all had a occupancy rate of 130% or more.
In addition, the regions of Montérégie (136%), Centre-du-Québec (133%), Outaouais (127%), Laval (124%) and Estrie (122%) all had indicators in the red.
“The situation is tense in hospitals currently for staff and patients”, underlines the Dr Duong, who reminds the public not to associate with sick or vulnerable people in the event of symptoms.
Calm in pediatric hospitals
Good news: after several very difficult weeks, the situation is finally improving in pediatric emergencies. “We see that the figures are a little better”, notes the DD Morris.
The emergency at the CHU Sainte-Justine had an occupancy rate of 63% on Tuesday, compared to 133% at the emergency at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, which nevertheless remains high.
“In terms of the waiting time to see a doctor, it has improved a lot”, observes the Dr Matthieu Vincent, pediatric emergency physician who sits on the board of directors of the Quebec Association of Emergency Physicians.
He adds that transmission of the respiratory syncytial virus, which hit children hard this fall, has decreased, which may partly explain the drop in traffic, although influenza is still circulating.
No respite in sight
But the situation remains fragile, and emergencies are worried about an increase in visits in the coming weeks.
Pandemic or not, the months of January and February are always the busiest times of the year, especially due to the circulation of viruses during the holiday season. “There, we say to ourselves “my god”, we have already been stretched for several months. It worries us, ”says the DD Judy Morris.
In December, the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, and the Greater Montreal emergency crisis unit implemented an overcapacity plan that would allow units and departments to accommodate a greater number of patients.
According to the DD Morris said the plan “has the potential to help, but the question is whether it’s being implemented” because it’s up to institutions to implement it.
The solution of sending patients to the floors may be a good solution in large hospitals, but in our hospitals, there are floors that are closed because there is a lack of staff.
Dr Sylvain Dufresne, President of the Association of General Practitioners of the South-West
In his region, the emergency rooms of the Suroît Hospital and the Anna-Laberge Hospital Center had an occupancy rate of 166% and 153% respectively on Tuesday.
Threat of service breakdown in call centers
Nothing to help, a union that represents dispatchers of health and emergency services fears that a catastrophic breakdown of service could break out in call centers in Quebec.
The Federation of Pre-Hospital Employees of Quebec (FPHQ) denounces a staff shortage that has become unsustainable.
In the center where Stéphane Rainville, president of the Brotherhood of Emergency Medical Dispatchers of Laurentides and Lanaudière, works, it is not uncommon for four dispatchers to do the work of seven.
“Since January, almost twenty people have left. […] We have hired seven cohorts since January, but we are not able to keep them,” he explains in an interview. At this time, there are 42 employees left, including those on sick or maternity leave.
The union urges Quebec to quickly sign a collective agreement that would ensure better pay and working conditions for dispatchers.
With The Canadian Press