By Canadian Press

Quebec City residents asked to avoid five swamped ERs amid staff shortages

Jul 19, 2022 | 8:43 AM

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 Québec 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.

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 mère-enfant Soleil, Hôpital de l’Enfant-Jésus, Hôpital du Saint-Sacrement, Hôpital Saint-François d’Assise and Hôtel-Dieu de Québec.

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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.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 19, 2022.

The Canadian Press