(Québec) Une erreur de triage à l’urgence, « ce genre d’erreur-là arrive », a répondu le ministre de la Santé, Christian Dubé, lorsqu’interrogé jeudi sur le décès d’une femme de 73 ans dans les toilettes de l’urgence de Joliette.
France Boisclair est morte d’un anévrisme le 11 août dernier après avoir attendu 17 heures à l’urgence sans voir un seul médecin, a rapporté Le Journal de Montréal ayant pris connaissance du rapport du coroner.
À la période des questions jeudi, répondant au porte-parole libéral en santé, André Fortin, le ministre Dubé a indiqué avoir parcouru le rapport. Il a expliqué que « c’est un enjeu de triage et de prise en charge ».
« L’infirmière […] will give a priority level. […] In this case, it would seem, according to the first data we have, that there was a diagnosis error at the priority level. It’s very unfortunate,” Mr. Dubé told Salon Bleu.
“This kind of mistake happens. The case should not be generalized. We have had significant improvements made in Joliette,” he continued, while Mr. Fortin said he noted “that nothing is improving in the emergency room.”
He also recalled that since December, three patients have died in the Châteauguay emergency room before seeing a doctor.
To support his statements, the Liberal elected official cited a recent study by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI), which shows that there has been no improvement in waiting times in emergency rooms.
“The minister presents plan after plan after plan, but he suffers failure, after failure, after failure. Why is he unable to improve the situation in the emergency room? » asked Mr. Fortin.
On the contrary, replied Mr. Dubé, emergencies are improving, the proof being that they now treat a larger volume of patients, including seniors. “I took stock with the CEOs and told them: “Well done! We are heading in the right direction,” he said.
Mr. Fortin pointed out that on Thursday morning, the average occupancy rate at the Châteauguay emergency room, for example, was 181%.
“Patients were waiting 10:15 a.m. in the emergency room,” he lamented. This is seven and a half times the promise of the Coalition Avenir Québec of 90 minutes, then 181%, which is well beyond the threshold of 150% where we place patients at risk. »
In the press scrum, Mr. Dubé declared that some establishments were improving faster than others.