It causes suffering for patients, worry for their families and frustration for physicians: load shedding makes the health sector fear the worst.HaveThe duty asked the 34 institutions in the network to take stock of the situation in their facilities. Note: since institutions are constantly monitoring the situation, it is possible that some data has changed over the past few hours.
Level 4: Center-South-of-the-Island-of-Montreal, North-of-the-Island-of-Montreal, Montérégie-Est, Montérégie-Centre, Montérégie-Ouest, Laval, Lanaudière, Laurentians, Estrie, Mauricie
The surgical activities of the hospitals of the CIUSSS du Center-South-of-the-Island-of-Montreal could be reduced by up to 25%. Nurses from outpatient clinics will be reassigned to hospitals.
At the CIUSSS of North-Island-of-Montreal, “our maximum COVID-19 bed capacities have already been exceeded several times in the last few days and weeks,” spokeswoman Séléna Champagne said. Cardiac operations have decreased by 50%.
The CISSS of Monteregie-Center is preparing for the passage, Sunday, to alert level 4. This “provides for greater load shedding in order to prioritize the response to urgent and semi-urgent needs”, recalled its spokesperson, Martine Lesage.
At the CISSS of Laval, the operating theater was operating this week with 5 out of 11 operating rooms. Between December 20 and January 11, 126 planned operations had to be cancelled.
In Lanaudiere, the Ministry of Health also authorized the transition to level 4 of the load shedding plan. Nevertheless, “a negligible number of operations had to be postponed”, according to the CISSS.
The CISSS of Laurentians records a COVID bed occupancy rate of 117%. The equivalent of 13 surgeries out of 22 are in operation and 162 operations were canceled between December 20 and January 7.
In Estrie, surgical activity is reduced by half. The most affected specialties are orthopedics, otolaryngology, gynecology and general surgery.
At the CIUSSS of the Mauricie-and-Centre-du-Québec, only certain services remain at level 3, while all the others are at level 4. Operations are maintained at 50%, preserving those that are urgent, semi-urgent and oncological.
Level 3+: Montreal (except CIUSSS du Nord and Centre-Sud), Chaudière-Appalaches, Outaouais
The CIUSSS of East-of-the-Island-of-Montreal was “significantly less than 50% of our elective programs [opérations non urgentes] compared to the pre-pandemic,” said spokesperson Christian Merciari. A total of 162 hospital beds were occupied out of a capacity of 100.
At the CIUSSS of Montreal West Island, 30% of surgical activities and 50% of endoscopy examinations were ongoing.
the McGill University Health Center (MUHC) exceeded its “COVID bed capacity by approximately 20%”, according to figures provided by its spokesperson, Annie-Claire Fournier. MUHC surgical activities continued at about 50% in most areas on adult sites.
the University of Montreal Hospital Center (CHUM) has also reorganized its activities. He prioritized surgeries while ensuring “close monitoring of the condition of patients,” said spokesperson Lucie Dufresne.
In Chaudiere-Appalaches, the CISSS has decided to extend the slowdown in activities to 50% until January 24. With this slowdown, the establishment hopes to avoid going to level 4 of the shedding of hospital activities, said publicist Mireille Gaudreau.
In Outaouais, load shedding was at level 4, “but only at the level of outpatient clinics,” said information officer Camille Brochu-Lafrance. Operations have been reduced by 71%, and the CISSS assured this week that it was still able to receive patients.
Level 3: Capitale-Nationale, Gaspésie, Magdalen Islands, North Shore, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Saguenay–Lac-St-Jean, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Baie-James
The University Institute of Cardiology and Pulmonology of Quebec evaluated that the percentage of offloading of its surgical and ambulatory activities was 30% to 40%. From 52 cardiac operations per week, the establishment has increased to 32, illustrated spokesperson Joël Clément.
At University Hospital Center of Quebec–Laval University, the contingency plan announced on January 2 was still in effect. In total, almost 300 operations are postponed each week, since operating rooms have reduced their level of operation to 56%.
Other regions, such as Gaspésie and Côte-Nord, have been doing quite well over the past few days. “But we are aware that it can change,” said the spokesperson for the CISSS of the Gaspesie, Jean Morin. On the North Coast, hospitalization capacities were sufficient. Services have been “reorganized” to support burgeoning environments, but no personnel have been reassigned, nor have surgical activities been reduced.
In the Lower St. Lawrence, spokesperson Gilles Turmel indicated that the CISSS managed to maintain its level of surgical activity above 50%. The CIUSSS of Saguenay–Lac-St-Jean also said he was able to reduce the capacity of operating theaters “up to 50% regionally”. At the Regional Health and Social Services Center of the James Bay, non-emergency operations have been postponed.