The waiting time in Quebec emergency rooms was considered very high in each of Quebec’s 15 regions on Thursday morning, except in two of them, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean and Gaspésie–Îles -of-the-Madeleine.
The Index Santé site, which observes and reports occupancy rates and waiting times in emergency rooms, specified shortly after 6 a.m. that this rate was 136%, on average, the highest since the increase in traffic which occurred after the brief lull of the Christmas period.
The most critical situation was noted at the start of the day in the Lanaudière region, where the occupancy of the emergency rooms of the Lanaudière and Pierre-Le-gardeur hospitals was, on average, 213%. There were 49 patients on stretchers for more than 24 hours in this region, including 16 for more than 48 hours.
In the neighboring region, that of the Laurentides, the emergency occupancy rate stood at 177%.
The rates were measured at 158% in Montérégie, 155% in Chaudière-Appalaches, 144% in Montreal, 139% in Outaouais, 135% in Laval, 132% in Quebec, 121% in Bas-Saint -Laurent, 108% in the Mauricie–Centre-du-Québec region and 105% in Estrie.
Emergency room traffic was 90% in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean and 72% in the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region.
At the start of the day, there were more than 3,900 Quebecers in emergency rooms. The day before, the average length of time people spent in the waiting room was around five and a half hours.
After the lull over the Christmas period, traffic continued to increase in Quebec emergency rooms. At its worst, it was 120% on December 29 and 133% on Wednesday of this week.
Everything indicates that traffic is linked to an increase in the number of cases of respiratory viruses. On the eve of New Year’s Day, the Quebec government called on the population to exercise caution in order to limit the transmission of these viruses and avoid applying additional pressure to the health network.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) warned that viruses such as COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza were circulating extensively.
The ministry stated that a large proportion of patients who consult the emergency room do not need to go there. Among the examples observed on a daily basis, the ministry reported sore throats, mild coughs, gastroenteritis without signs of significant dehydration and symptoms of urinary infection. These health problems can often be neutralized by a consultation on the 811 telephone line or at the digital first line access desk (GAP).
However, the ministry reminded that one should not hesitate to go to the emergency room for any health situation requiring immediate care.