Quebec health minister asks nurses to come back to help struggling health-care system
The situation in Quebec's health-care system "will continue to be difficult" in the coming weeks, Health Minister Christian Dubé warned Thursday.
He is calling on nurses to come and help out at busy Info-Santé 811 phone line, which received around 10,000 calls on Wednesday.
"The 811 line is working very well, but there is a lack of staff to answer the phone," said Dubé during a press scrum at the national assembly.
"I am inviting nurses who are retired, or who are in private agencies, to come and help us in the next few weeks. We could take up to 5,000 nurses."
The minister noted that the number of influenza cases in the province continues to rise, and he invited all Quebecers to get vaccinated, reminding them that the vaccine is now free.
He also urged parents to keep their children at home if they have flu-like symptoms. Currently, 120,000 children are absent from school, according to the most recent data.
During question period, Liberal health critic André Fortin criticized the minister for his poor results. "The emergency rooms are overflowing," he said.
"In Repentigny this morning ... it's 181 per cent occupancy in the ER, in Sorel, 194 per cent, in Buckingham, 208 per cent, and in Mont-Laurier, 300 per cent occupancy in the ER," he said.
Fortin said that every day, up to 1,500 Quebecers were leaving the emergency room without seeing a doctor.
"This is the failure of the minister of health. To let people leave without care, it is not done,'' Fortin said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Dec. 1, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
DEVELOPING Hamas accepts Gaza ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar
Hamas said it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar, which seeks to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza, prompting Israel to say it would send a delegation to negotiate – though it warned the proposal remained far from the 'necessary requirements.'
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
2024 Met Gala: Everything to know about fashion's annual soiree
Fashion's biggest night out — hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York each year on the first Monday of May — is both a forever-evolving spectacle and a carefully crafted event.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Concern over speeding in Fredericton neighbourhood grows after 2 teens, young adult killed in crash
Three people – including two teens – are dead, and two others are injured after a crash that has left a greater Fredericton community shaken.