Our Bureau of Investigation compiled and analyzed the average delays between an urgent 9-1-1 call and the arrival of ambulances in the 112 municipalities with more than 10,000 inhabitants in Quebec, over a period of one year. Result: nearly 85% of them are unable to provide an ambulance in the required time to a person whose life is threatened.
Living in an urban center is no guarantee of efficient ambulance service, while response times to urgent calls in five municipalities on the island of Montreal exceed the critical threshold of 15 minutes.
In fact, Kirkland, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Beaconsfield, Dorval and Pointe-Claire are among the 25 cities with more than 10,000 inhabitants where waiting for urgent help takes the longest.
“That does not make any sense. We have time to die twice,” laments Michel Gibson, mayor of Kirkland, who appears on 12e rank among the worst waiting times for an ambulance.
- Listen to the interview with Jean Gagnon, primary care paramedic at Urgences-santé and representative of the prehospital sector at the federal office of the FSSS-CSN on the microphone of Alexandre Dubé via
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According to Mr. Gibson, who was unaware of the existence of this issue before our call, these waiting times “are frightening” and it is imperative that the competent authorities find solutions.
Health emergencies not worried
Urgences-santé explains these delays by the fact that its vehicles often have to go to downtown Montreal, where the emergencies are located, rather than in the west of the city.
“So when vehicles become available again, they are mainly in the city center,” says Patrick Liard, deputy operational director general for Urgences-santé.
Patrick Liard, operational deputy general director for Urgences-santé.
“Photo Pierre-Paul Poulin”
This reality is exacerbated by the occupancy rate of ambulance vehicles, which is, at Urgences-santé, one of the highest in Quebec. In other words, it is rare that an ambulance has the luxury of waiting at its waiting point in the West Island, recognizes Mr. Liard.
Even if possible solutions are explored, the delays in the west do not particularly concern Urgences-santé, because the first responders arrive in approximately 6 minutes, wherever in the territory, she defends herself.
– With the collaboration of Philippe Langlois