We're only a week into the new year, but Quebec's emergency rooms are already being pushed to the brink and hospitals across the board are so crowded that the province is telling residents not to go to hospital unless absolutely necessary. We are now forced to request people to stay at home.
The Quebec government has urged people with mild illnesses who do not require emergency room-level treatment to seek medical care through other means.
But health policy experts say this is a problem of the government's own making.
“It's no secret. Wait times have long been a feature of the government-run medical monopoly, and it's Quebecers who pay the price on a daily basis through increased stress and prolonged suffering,” said the Montreal hospital. said Renaud Brossard, vice president of communications. Institute for Economic Research, a think tank based in Montreal.
“I hope the government recognizes that access to a waiting list is not the same as access to health care and allows independent clinics and hospitals to open and lend a helping hand to our deteriorating government-run health system. The time has come to do so.”
The situation was worst in Montreal, where three hospitals were facing double the capacity of their emergency rooms.
Occupancy in the city averaged 158%, while Montreal's three busiest ERs averaged 158%. Jewish General Hospital, Lakeshore Hospital and LaSalle Hospital all saw their rates peak at over 200%.
At a minimum, the government needs to make sure Canadians are informed about the options available to them for care, said Colin Craig of SecondStreet.org, a policy think tank that has done extensive research on medical wait times. He said there is.
“This is an issue that has been known for many years, but I don't think the government is educating Canadians enough about this issue,” Craig said.
“Part of the problem seems to be that in Canada a lot of patients go to emergency rooms for everything, but emergency rooms are actually for serious problems like heart attacks and strokes. If you have mild symptoms, like a severe sore throat, you should go to the emergency room instead.'' Visit an urgent care facility or walk-in clinic. This will also reduce pressure on emergency rooms. ”
Before the Christmas holiday, the average occupancy rate fell below 100% for the first time since November 12, 2023, according to . global news.
