Overcrowding in Montreal Children’s Hospital urges patients to avoid emergency room

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 92 per cent, the second highest rate among all hospitals in the city.

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.

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

by Global News