The mayor of Lachine and members of the Montreal medical community are launching a new cry from the heart to preserve intensive care at the Lachine hospital, but also the emergency room of the establishment, where the number of visits has increased this year.
This is the “only responsible thing to do” given the importance of the Lachine hospital for the population of the West Island of Montreal, said the mayor of Lachine, Maja Vodanovic.
According to internal data obtained by The duty, the number of emergency room visits at Lachine Hospital increased from 15,056 in 2021-2022 to 19,517 in 2022-2023. This represents an increase compared to the pre-pandemic year 2018-2019, when the figure was 18,985. “We cannot say that these are superfluous visits, far from it”, underlines the head of the Regional Department of general medicine (DRMG) of Montreal, the DD Ariane Murray.
However, at present, the McGill University Health Center (MUHC), to which the Lachine Hospital is affiliated, is considering two scenarios for the future of the institution: maintaining its community mission or changing vocation to become a center dealing with less acute and more chronic care.
Maintaining intensive care and hospital emergencies is necessary since the surrounding population is struggling with more comorbidities and socioeconomic issues, argues the DD Geneviève Chaput, President of the Council of Physicians, Dentists and Pharmacists (CPDP) of the Lachine Hospital. “Patients who come for medical care […] they tell us: we are worried. Where are we going to go? »
“Similar to grocery store” hours
Since mid-February, the Lachine hospital emergency department has been operating from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. for patients who arrive there by their own means. “Ambulances transporting patients in need of acute care will be redirected to other hospitals,” reads the facility’s website.
“How can we justify our emergency being open at hours similar to those of the grocery store? asks Geneviève Chaput. Especially since the surrounding hospitals are overwhelmed, she underlines.
Lachine Hospital teams are mobilized to do their part, says the DD chaput. “They find it difficult not to be able to work as they did before with full emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and with all the services that the population needs. »
While the MUHC thinks about the fate that will be reserved for the Lachine hospital, the citizens of the surrounding area are “a bit held hostage in this,” says Ariane Murray.
Joined by The duty, the MUHC ensures that the “best solution” will be found to ensure the future of the hospital. “Our decision will take into account the many fruitful discussions and interactions with multiple stakeholders, including a multidisciplinary working group, elected officials, the Lachine Hospital Committee of the CMDP of the MUHC, the Regional Department of General Medicine (DRMG), as well as the desire to meet the expectations of the population,” writes Gilda Salomone, head of the communications department.
An announcement on this subject will be made at the end of the month, specifies Mme Salomone.
A press briefing by the Liberal deputy for Marquette, Enrico Ciccone, is scheduled for the start of the afternoon at the National Assembly. He will notably be accompanied by his colleague André Fortin, official opposition health critic, as well as citizens from the Save the Lachine Hospital committee..
Further details will follow.