Pediatric 811 line now available throughout Quebec
Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube said the pediatric health 811 line is now expanded to the entire province.
Dube made the announcement when addressing the state of the province's emergency rooms heading into the holiday season.
The health line was previously only available in the Greater Montreal Area to relieve pressure on the overtaxed ERs in the area. The program was extended to Quebec City and elsewhere in the province.
Dube said each time the ministry introduced the 811 line, numbers in ERs went down.
He said the policy is here to stay and will be expanded.
"It's important," said Dube. "Today we're answering the phone, in a few months we'll do it on Facetime."
After that, Dube said it would function similar to the Clic-Sante online portals.
Dube said the combination of measures is making a difference.
"Today, we still are at roughly 10,000 visits in emergency rooms in all Quebec," he said. "This is the same volume that we had last year, but in a different context, we have three viruses [RSV, COVID-19 and influenza]."
Dube said the ministry continues to ask retired nurses to return to answer the 811 lines. He said the program has already added 80 new employees.
ERs OVER CAPACITY
According to Index Sante, Montreal's ERs are currently operating at 125 per cent capacity, and across the province, hospitals are at 120 per cent.
The most taxed ERs in the province are the Pontiac Hospital (225 per cent), Mont-Laurier Hospital (220 per cent), and the CLSC Saint-Marc-des-Carrieres (200 per cent).
Sixty-two other hospitals in Quebec are operating at or over 100 per cent capacity, according to the site.
The health ministry recently opened its fifth specialized nurse-led clinic in Laval to relieve pressure on hospital ERs, and there are three clinics already open in Montreal and one in Saguenay.
- Listen on CJAD 800: A South Shore pediatric clinic is treating urgent medical cases free of charge
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Judge in Trump's hush money trial threatened to throw witness out of court for behavior on stand
Michael Cohen testified Monday that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from his ex-boss Donald Trump’s company, an admission defence lawyers hope to use to undermine Cohen’s credibility.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Oilers win Game 7 over Canucks, advance to Western Conference Final
The Edmonton Oilers weathered a late Vancouver Canucks charge on Monday night, beating the hosts 3-2 to win their seven-game second-round playoff series in the decisive showdown.
McGill says pro-Palestinian protest outside senior administrator's home 'crosses the line'
McGill University has denounced a pro-Palestinian protest held Sunday outside the home of one of its senior administrators.
Red Lobster probes 'endless shrimp' losses after bankruptcy filing
U.S.-based restaurant chain Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Florida court after securing $100 million in financing commitments from its existing lenders, the company said on Sunday.
Katy Perry sings goodbye to 'American Idol'
Katy Perry said her goodbyes on 'American Idol' after seven seasons. On Sunday night’s live 'idol' season finale, a medley of Perry's hit songs were performed, including 'Teenage Dream,' 'Dark Horse' and 'California Gurls.'
Microsoft's AI chatbot will 'recall' everything you do on a PC
Microsoft wants laptop users to get so comfortable with its artificial intelligence chatbot that it will remember everything you're doing on your computer and help figure out what you want to do next.
Judge cites error, will reopen sentencing hearing for man who attacked Nancy Pelosi's husband
A federal judge will reopen the sentencing hearing for the man who broke into Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home and bludgeoned her husband with a hammer after the judge failed to allow him to speak during his court appearance last week.