Protesters demand Lachine Hospital intensive care unit reopen

Protesters were at the Lachine Hospital on Saturday, April 20, 2024, demanding the intensive care unit reopen.

Staff and community members gathered on Saturday to protest outside of the Lachine Hospital, saying an intensive care unit is desperately needed.

The hospital's ICU was shut down at the end of 2020 for a major renovation and expansion project.

The new facility is scheduled to be completed in 2026, but will not include an ICU.

"The MUHC will not return to a system where specialists are responsible for managing the most critical patients," said spokesperson Annie-Claire Fournier. "On the other hand, the MUHC is working with Lachine's family physicians, whose service offering continues to evolve. Furthermore, the Lachine Hospital is in close proximity to other MUHC facilities, which allows rapid access to state-of-the-art intensive care if a patient's condition requires it. Our staff are fully capable of providing the necessary care for a patient awaiting transfer."

The protesters say that the wait is far too long and that the government is not keeping its promise to keep the hospital fully functional.

Quebec's national assembly voted in favour of this in 2007 and again in 2023.