Santé Québec says ERs hit winter peak

Rising cases of COVID-19 and the seasonal flu are bogging down Quebec hospital emergency rooms.

Santé Québec says the situation in ERs is still difficult and is impacting all our establishments now that the winter peak has been reached.

The stretcher occupancy rate for Quebec is at 123 per cent, compared to last week’s 124 per cent. However, it’s a 10.5 per cent increase from this time last year.

The Montreal area is still well-above the provincial average. The city’s occupancy rate stands at 144 per cent, stable from last week, but up by 20 per cent since last year.

For the suburban areas, stretcher occupancy rate is 139 per cent, similar to last year.

Wait times have gone up by 96 minutes compared to this time last year.

Last week, the average wait time was of 18.8 hours, but went up to 19.4 hours.

The average wait time was 17.8 hours for the Feb. 4 to 17 period last year.

Montreal is again most affected with wait times of 23.6 hours, up from 20.7 hours last year.

The health authority did note a stabilization in some areas, namely in the number of ER visits per day and pediatrics.

“For the first time in several weeks, the number of daily visits to Quebec emergency departments is stable compared with previous years,” it said in a news release.

The stretcher occupancy rate for pediatric emergencies improved compared with previous years, and now stands at around 103 per cent. The average length of stay is also fairly stable.

However, the number of daily visits to pediatric emergencies rose to 487, an increase of almost 100 visits per day compared with last year.

Santé Québec attributes the increase to the high circulation of viruses and urges parents to call 811 or use other services before taking their child to the ER.

Dr. Mélanie Labrosse, a pediatric surgeon in charge of traumatology at the CHU Sainte-Justine emergency department, also stressed the importance of preventing injuries as schools approach spring break.

“Wearing appropriate safety equipment, ensuring parental supervision and choosing activities suited to everyone’s physical abilities can help families avoid a visit to pediatric emergency,” she said in a news release.