Revelations about several deaths at the Lakeshore General Hospital emergency room in Pointe-Claire have forced Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé to launch an investigation.

The decision was announced in a statement to the Montreal Gazette on Monday evening. The media outlet has published a series of reports in recent days revealing disturbing details about several deaths in the emergency room.

The testimonies of staff members, reported by journalist Aaron Derfel, point to "avoidable deaths" and attempts to hide the truth surrounding these incidents. Six cases since 2019 are mentioned in the reports published by The Gazette.

In response, Dubé has called for an independent "on-the-spot" investigation, according to the statement obtained by The Canadian Press.

"The facts reported are of great concern, and we wish to begin by offering our condolences to the families affected. Let us be clear: we are not compromising on the health and safety of patients," it said.

The minister's office also points out that a report has already been drafted by a mediator and was submitted last November. This document contains a series of recommendations being implemented at the hospital. The mediator, Marie Boucher, described the site as a "time bomb" due to the precarious conditions.

"Several measures have been put in place or are being implemented at Lakeshore, such as placing people at risk of suicide or in protective custody on stretchers visible from the nurses' station. The recommendations of the independent enquiry will be no exception. We will follow up on the case very closely," said Minister Dubé's office.

Among the disturbing facts revealed by The Gazette is the case of a former police officer who died by suicide from a stretcher in the emergency room in exactly the same way as he had tried a few hours earlier when he was interrupted by a member of the nursing staff.

According to information obtained by the newspaper, the minister's office was informed of at least three of the deaths at the time they occurred.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 28, 2023. The Canadian Press health content is funded through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for editorial choices.