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Parents with sick kids experiencing long delays on Info-sante 811 phone line

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As respiratory viruses spread in children during cold and flu season, it's not just the emergency rooms in pediatric hospitals that are overwhelmed.

The pediatric 811 phone line is, too, with some parents waiting up to two hours to speak to a nurse.

The average wait time Wednesday was about 35 minutes, but in some cases, especially in the evenings, the wait time could much longer.

The phone line was put into place to help avoid unnecessary visits to the ER, with nurses giving advice over the phone.

CTV News spoke to one mother whose daughter has severe asthma. She said she called 811 last week and waited at least an hour.

Watch the video above for the full report from CTV News Montreal's Amanada Kline. 

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