Emergencies are overflowing in several regions in the south of the province at the start of autumn marked by the return of several respiratory viruses and by delays in the transfer of patients to long-term care centers (CHSLD).
The situation is particularly critical in the Laurentians, where the occupancy rate reaches 145%.
At the Saint-Jérôme regional hospital as well as that of Saint-Eustache, the rates exceed 150%.
In Montérégie, Laval, Montreal and Lanaudière, the rates vary between 116% and 123%.
This week, the CISSS de la Montérégie-Ouest asked patients who wish to go to the emergency room at Anna-Laberge hospital to consider other options.
The occupancy rate is 141%.
With the arrival of fall, many respiratory viruses are in circulation, such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19, to which influenza will soon be added.
Prolonged delays in transferring patients to CHSLDs also add pressure on emergencies.
“It’s worrying,” says the vice-president of the Association of Emergency Medicine Specialists of Quebec, Dr. Guillaume Lacombe. “I would tell you that the next six to eight weeks are really going to be crucial.”
“These are probably weeks during which we will have to work to optimize the situation to ensure that when we reach the peak of the flu season […]»
For its part, the Ministry of Health and Social Services indicates that it has implemented several actions with the aim of offering more places in CHSLDs, such as more offers of home care services and the addition of places in certain establishments.
See the full explanation in the video above.
