Quebec health minister makes surprise visit to over-capacity Montreal-area emergency room

Work on a modular building at Lakeshore Hospital continues. The building will host the hospital's emergency department, which is one of the busiest on the Island of Montreal. SOURCE: Christian Dube/X

Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube made a surprise visit to one of Montreal's busiest emergency rooms on Saturday and was optimistic about what is being done to alleviate pressure on the West Island institution.

"I made a surprise visit to Lakeshore Hospital to chat with people on the ground," Dube wrote on X. "I was able to speak with the head nurse of the emergency room who told me about improvements in schedule management helping to provide a better work environment."

Index Sante reports that Lakeshore's emergency room is operating at 145 per cent capacity. The average capacity in Montreal ERs is 119 per cent, above the provincial average of 107 per cent.

In the past 10 days, however, the average capacity in the province has dropped from 131 per cent.

Dube told reporters at that time that the difficult situation in ERs would continue for some time.

On Saturday, Dube was optimistic about work being done at Lakeshore to improve its capacity.

"I was also able to see the progress of the modular emergency expansion work," he wrote. "This is a concrete gesture to better meet the needs of the population."

The Montreal West Island Integrated University Health and Social Services Centre (CIUSSS-OIM) acquired a modular building this week where the emergency department will soon be located.

The CIUSSS said this week that it will be in place for "several years" while work on a new department begins next year.

"The building will provide a modern environment that meets existing standards, is easier access, and ensures a safer environment in which to provide the community with a better quality of care and services," the CIUSSS said in a news release.

The CIUSSS said that excavation, structural and civil work is underway and a 300-tonne crane will be installed in February, followed by the installation of the modular units. 

The modular building will also host the University-affiliated Family Medicine Group (U-FMG), which is run out of McGill University.

The modular building is set to open in the spring.  

The CIUSSS added that teams are working to improve the flow in emergency services. The hospital has added the rapid access clinic and screens displaying the average wait times in the department.