Quebec emergency room doctors say situation is 'out of control'

An organization representing Quebec emergency room doctors is the latest to sound the alarm about the dire situation in the province's emergency rooms.

A letter from the Regroupement des Chefs d'Urgence du Quebec (AMUQ) said the state of ERs has "gotten out of control for all Quebec institutions" and that the "inertia at all levels of decision-making remains palpable."

The letter takes aim at Minister of Health Christian Dube.

"While all the ministerial attention was focused on Bill 15 and the reorganization of the health-care system, the network has completely ground to a halt, and everything hinges on the exceptional dedication of the professionals who are still committed to quality care," reads the letter signed by AMUQ president Marie-Maud Couture.

The doctors say the recent deaths at the Anna-Laberge Hospital emergency room in Chateauguay are just "the tip of the iceberg."

"Congestion in emergency departments leads to a mortality, recently estimated at one excess death for every 82 patients admitted," the letter reads. "This statistic does not take into account indirect deaths, i.e. people who present late despite having an urgent medical condition, for fear of waiting more than 24 hours in a waiting room, and sometimes even for fear of being a 'nuisance.'"

Association des spécialistes en médecine d'urgence du Québec president Dr. Gilbert Boucher told CTV News after the deaths that the situation at Anna-Laberge hasn't changed despite the headline news of the deaths and ministerial visit.

"We need the entire system to help us," he said.

On Sunday, Anna-Laberge was at 153 per cent capacity. All non-specialized hospitals in the Montreal region are at or over 100 per cent capacity.

Barrie Memorial Hospital in Ormstown is at 200 per cent capacity, the same level Anna-Laberge was at when the deaths occurred.

Dube called the deaths "extremely worrying" and that he wanted "to take the pulse of what was happening on the ground."

"One thing is certain: we need to improve the situation in our emergency rooms," said the health minister. "But also throughout the patient pathway, from before they arrive at the hospital to after they leave."

Patients' rights advocate Paul Brunet is pushing for the ministry to increase its use of home care.

"A lot of people whose health has been degrading could have been seen sometime before," he said. "We're losing a lot of patients already in the emergency rooms and on waiting lists because of the chaotic situation."

Couture writes that the response to the "permanent -- and, we repeat, daily lethal -- crisis often boils down to wishful thinking."

"To date, very little effort has been made to remedy the root cause of congestion," she writes. "Although there have been directives relating to hospital overcapacity, the accountability and application of the various contingency plans have remained unresolved."

The organization is requesting an urgent meeting with the ministry to discuss measures to guarantee ER access for patients. 

LISTEN ON CJAD 800 RADIO: Gazette's Aaron Derfel on latest situation in Quebec's hospitals and ERs 

With reporting from CTV News Montreal journalist Olivia O'Malley.