MUHC to cut ambulance services, walk-ins in partial closure of ER at Lachine Hospital
Ambulances will soon be redirected away from the Lachine Hospital emergency rooms as staff shortages force management to reduce services.
As of Nov. 7, the hospital will no longer accept patients arriving by ambulance, except under specific situations involving heart attacks and respiratory emergencies.
What’s more, the hospital in Montreal’s west end will only accept walk-in patients between 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Henryk Usakowski lost both of his parents at the Lachine Hospital, where he spent much of his time. Like many locals, he was disappointed to hear about the changes.
"It was such a vital part of our lives. I spent six months here, every day, three times a day… and now they're closing it down just like that," he said.
The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), which runs the hospital, announced the changes on Friday amid a serious lack of hospital workers, especially among nurses and respiratory staff.
The hospital receives about 40 patients per day, most of whome arrive between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
To maintain regular services, the hospital should have about 52 nurses on staff. At the moment, there are 29.
The shortages are more severe among respiratory therapists. There are just nine working to provide care to the entire hospital, out of the 27 required.
The hospital says medical and surgical beds remain available, and outpatient clinics and labs will still operate.
Regular services at CHSLD Camille-Lefebvre will continue.
In a letter to express her outrage at service cuts at the hospital, Lachine borough Mayor Maja Vodanovic urged Health and Social Services Minister Christian Dubé to intervene.
"Lachine Hospital is the only francophone hospital in the west of Montreal. It is an aging population in a vulnerable situation," she wrote in her letter on Wednesday.
"We are fully aware of the extremely difficult situation for our health care workers and we fully support them."
The MUHC says the closure is temporary, as it's trying to recruit more staff.
"I expect it to be weeks and not many, many months. I would expect it to revert to normal at the latest at the beginning of the year, January," said MUHC president, Dr. Pierre Gfeller.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.