"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.
A gay man is taking the federal government to court, challenging the constitutionality of a policy restricting sexually active gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned.
On CTVNews.ca and YouTube: Health journalist Avis Favaro joins our Trend Line podcast, for an in-depth episode dedicated to the growing crises facing the Canadian health-care system.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
Hundreds of tenants at a midtown Toronto apartment building have been without heat for a week now, and many are worried with the arrival of bitter-cold temperatures.
A new 911 dispatch system in New Brunswick means that now fire departments aren’t getting dispatched to all medical calls leaving residents waiting and first responders in the dark.
A day after Loblaws' price-freeze on No Name products ended, some experts are warning retailers that consumers won't hesitate to find new places to shop if prices are better.
More than four months after Hurricane Fiona hit Atlantic Canada, people are still dealing with damaged homes as they wait for help from insurance companies and provincial aid programs.
Gillian Burnett was almost finished her work day on Jan. 24 when she received a terrifying call about her young son. Waylon, 20-months-old, was found submerged in an outdoor pool at a home daycare near Petrolia, Ont.
A shelter that offers support to sex workers will soon be relocating to Old East Village, and while the move is positive news for the shelter, not all residents feel the same way.
Tsuut'ina Nation Police Service officials are encouraging any local victims to come forward following the arrest of actor Nathan Lee Chasing Horse in Las Vegas on sex assault charges.
Calgary police are looking for suspects involved in an altercation that lasted for approximately an hour, spanned several communities and ended with a gun being fired.
Tsuut'ina Nation Police Service officials are encouraging any local victims to come forward following the arrest of actor Nathan Lee Chasing Horse in Las Vegas on sex assault charges.
A hearing is underway to determine if Udo Haan is not criminally responsible for the death of his wife Edra Haan, who was found in the aftermath of the 2018 house explosion in Kitchener, Ont.
Chief Mark Crowell made a presentation at a council meeting Wednesday justifying the proposed $214 million budget for the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS).
A French bulldog that was stolen from a rural property near Kamloops, B.C., three weeks ago has been reunited with her family, according to a Facebook post from the pup's owner.
The suspect in a Tuesday robbery at an Abbotsford gas station is at large, and investigators are seeking witnesses and dashcam video in hopes of finding him.
Alberta's former chief medical officer of health has landed a new role in British Columbia. Dr. Deena Hinshaw was named a deputy provincial health officer for B.C. on Wednesday.
Following a suicide bomb blast that killed more than 100 people in a mosque in Pakistan’s northern city of Peshawar, community leaders in Windsor-Essex are reminding people these attacks are rare and should not be simply dismissed as a byproduct of living in that part of the world.
Connor Bedard has arrived in Calgary ahead of what's expected to be a completely full Scotiabank Saddledome when the Calgary Hitmen and Regina Pats square off.
The Saskatchewan Environmental Society (SES) is drawing their line in the sand on the controversial Saskatchewan First Act, calling it “bad news” for the environment, economy, and the province’s energy future.
While crews have resumed operations in an attempt to open the Rideau Canal Skateway for its 53rd season, an NCC spokesperson tells CTV News Ottawa the canal will not open in time for the first weekend of Winterlude on Friday.
