The Montreal Children's Hospital Is Facing High Patient Volume & Only Admitting Emergencies
The hospital hit 192% stretcher occupancy on Sunday.
The silver bear statue outside the Montreal Children's Hospital.
The Montreal Children's Hospital is overwhelmed with patients and asking that only emergency cases be referred to the site.
"[We are] currently experiencing a high volume of patients requiring hospitalization or critical care. This increase puts a strain on emergency services, who need to care for patients waiting for a bed," the hospital tweeted on Sunday afternoon.
"We are currently unable to see patients whose condition is non-urgent (categories 4 and 5). We ask these patients to consult their doctor, go to a rapid access clinic or call Info-Santé at 8-1-1," a second tweet read.
Santé Montreal describes category four as not requiring immediate care, like a "minor allergic reaction," for example. Category five means your health problem "isn’t serious," like gastroenteritis or a urinary infection, so a medical clinic or CLSC could offer treatment.
Meanwhile, categories one through three entail much more serious issues:
- Category 1: A life is in danger and requires immediate care (i.e., shock, coma).
- Category 2: A condition that requires rapid intervention (i.e., intense chest pain, difficulty breathing, signs of a heart attack).
- Category 3: A health problem that is serious but not life-threatening (i.e., fracture, signs of infection).