According to data collected on the Quebec government website in the morning of Monday March 10, the stretcher occupancy rate at Suroît Hospital's emergency department stands at 147%. The situation is more critical at Lakeshore Hospital in Pointe-Claire, where the occupancy rate has reached 168%. 

The total number of people in emergency at the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield hospital is 55, of whom 7 are waiting to see a doctor. Of the 32 stretchers in operation, 45 are occupied, 32 for more than 24 hours and 20 for more than 48 hours.

Furthermore, according to the compilation of data collected on the same date, the average length of stay for people in the waiting room is 5 hours 03 minutes, while the average length of stay for people waiting on a stretcher is 22 hours 01 minutes. 

At Lakeshore Hospital in Pointe-Claire, the situation is far from better, with an occupancy rate of 168%. A total of 69 people are in emergency and 13 are waiting to see a healthcare professional.

Of the 31 stretchers in operation, 52 are occupied. Of these, 29 have been occupied for 24 hours, while 15 have been occupied for 48 hours.  The average length of stay for people in the waiting room is 6 hours and 25 minutes, and for people waiting on a stretcher is 22 hours 30 minutes. 

In pediatric hospitals, the stretcher occupancy rate has improved over recent years. 

At the time of writing, at CHU Sainte-Justine, 15 people are in the ER, 4 of whom are waiting to see a doctor. 

Of the 16 functional stretchers, 10 are occupied. The average length of stay for people in the waiting room is 3 hours 13 minutes, and for those waiting on a stretcher, 5 hours 13 minutes. 

The situation is fairly similar at the Montreal Children's Hospital, where the occupancy rate is 83% and the average length of stay for people in the waiting room is 4 hours 13 minutes. 

Avoiding the emergency

Depending on your state of health, you may be able to avoid an emergency by consulting other services. The public is invited to contact 811 Info-Santé, the CLSC, their family doctor, and to consult the online guides to taking care of yourself at home.

Pharmacists also offer a wide range of local services.