It’s the traditional long Labor Day holiday and some healthcare workers have their hands full, as hospital emergency rooms are overflowing.
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Nurses and doctors ask patients to avoid them by going to CLSCs, pharmacies or, if possible, to consult their family doctor.
The rates being very high with a general occupancy of 107% in Quebec hospitals, the nursing staff of the various institutions wants citizens to exercise their judgment so as not to further clog the emergency room.
Specifically, Centre-du-Québec (105%), Estrie (113%), Lanaudière (149%), Laurentides (130%), Laval (118%), Mauricie (105%), Montérégie ( 126%) and Montreal (114%) are the eight regions where the occupancy rate crossed the 100% mark.
Ironically, the party leaders are in the election campaign and the fact that many Quebecers do not have a family doctor – a promise of the CAQ in 2018 – and that the system is clogged arouses discontent.
“There are a lot of people waiting. I am too. I believe that there is room for improvement”, testified a citizen met by TVA Nouvelles, Saturday morning.
“It’s not normal for there to be congestion like there is here,” laments a man surveyed as part of the same vox pop. We should pay attention to the health services we already have.”
In a Léger poll released last week, health was the number one priority for Quebecers.
A nurse from Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont told TVA Nouvelles on Thursday that this establishment had “about 50% of the staff present” and that “nurses have decided to leave the ship”.
Saturday morning, the Minister of Health estimated 27% of admitted patients who are residents of Montreal.
“It’s (a center) very important and there is a lot of impact on emergencies, where there is a lot of traffic for a combination of reasons.”
