Quebec City residents are being asked to avoid unnecessary trips to five emergency rooms that are struggling with staff shortages and overcrowding.
The Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Quebec says sustained high patient volumes combined with staffing challenges have created a “critical situation” in its five hospital ERs.
It adds that more than 500 workers were off the job for reasons related to COVID-19 as of Monday night.
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Patients are being asked to avoid the emergency rooms unless they need critical care and to instead consult a clinic, a pharmacist or call the province’s 811 health hotline.
The hospitals in question are the CHUL et Centre mere-enfant Soleil, Hopital de l’Enfant-Jesus, Hopital du Saint-Sacrement, Hopital Saint-Francois d’Assise and Hotel-Dieu de Quebec.
The notice comes as hospitals across the province are struggling to maintain emergency services and are being forced to partially close or redirect patients elsewhere.
© 2022 The Canadian Press
