The Montreal Children’s Hospital is currently experiencing a high volume of patients requiring hospitalization or critical care and asking the public to avoid bringing their kids if the situation is non-urgent.
“This increase puts a strain on emergency services, who need to care for patients waiting for a bed,” says a statement from the hospital. “As a result, we are currently unable to see patients whose condition is non-urgent.”
Montreal public health says the Children’s Hospital ER occupancy rate is 192 per cent, the second highest rate among all hospitals in the city.
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Dr. Robert Barnes, the hospital’s associate director of professional services, says ER wait times are currently up to 18 hours and doesn’t know when the wait will to decrease.
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He says the hospital is not seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases, but rather infections of all kinds.
Health officials are asking parents and guardians to instead consult a doctor, go to a rapid access clinic or speak with a nurse by calling Info-Santé at 8-1-1 if a child is ill but the situation is not an emergency.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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