MONTREAL - Montreal emergency rooms are strained this holiday week, with many operating over capacity.
Officials say the numbers are not substantially above normal, however.
St Mary's Hospital in Cote-des-Neiges is the hardest hit at 187 per cent of its capacity.
The Royal Victoria on Pine Ave. W doesn't fare much better at 154 per cent of its capacity.
Pointe-Claire's Lakeshore General Hospital is at 132 per cent of its capacity.
The Montreal General Hospital on Cedar Ave. is reporting a rate of 127 per cent of its capacity.
ER doctor Mitch Shulman offered some simple, yet effective, advice to reduce overcrowding.
"If you don't have to be there, don't go there," he said.
Instead, if you have a family doctor, contact them, visit a local CLSC, or call Info-Sante at 8-1-1.
That said, some symptoms require immediate attention in an ER.
"If you have crushing, behind-the-breastbone pain, you may be having a heart attack and you need to be seen," said Shulman.
"Sudden onset of shortness of breath, a high fever that hasn't come down that has persisted for a couple of days" are also good reasons to visit a hospital.
The notable exceptions to the city's overcrowded ER are Montreal's two pediatric hospitals, The Montreal Children's hospital and Sainte-Justine Hospital, both of which are operating below capacity.
Last week, health officials asked parents to avoid the pediatric hospitals' ERs unless they were dealing with true emergencies.
