Urgences-Sante hit with staffing shortage in Montreal area due to COVID-19
There are some serious staffing shortages at Urgences-Sante as many of them were off this past weekend because of COVID-19.
The absences made for difficult working conditions, particularly on Saturday when Urgences-Sante was short about 20 trucks during the day serving Montreal and Laval.
For paramedics like Kevin Morson, staffing shortages make for very busy days.
“We come off a call, we get another call right away and it’s just back-to-back-to-back,” he said in an interview.
For high-priority calls like cardiac arrest or stroke, paramedics are there in minutes.
But people with non-life threatening issues should expect to wait.
“If it’s a non-urgent call please call 811 info-sante so you’re going to get some medical advice from a nurse. Maybe you don’t need to go to hospital,” said Jean-Pierre Rouleau, a spokesperson for Urgence-Sante.
But he pointed out if things change, help will be on the way sooner.
“If their case gets worse they can call us back and we’re going to send an ambulance faster,” said Rouleau.
Urgences-Sante said roughly three per cent of its paramedics are off the job because of COVID-19.
Retired paramedic Hal Newman sadi there were staffing issues prior to the pandemic.
“They already had an exhausted workforce. They were already short, probably a few hundred paramedics before the pandemic,” he said.
“There’s an enormous weight on your shoulders, knowing that person has been waiting for you.”
Ultimately, he said, improving working conditions, salary, and graduating more students could solve the problem in the long term.
Morson said, “we have less time to eat, we’re doing calls at the end of our shift to cover the lacking staff so we’re forced to do overtime.”
“It’s becoming more and more recurrent.”
Newman added that the organization doesn’t graduate enough paramedics to satisfy the needs of the community.
“It’s not only Urgences-Sante. There are multiple ambulance services across Quebec. We only have a few CEGEPs graduating paramedics,” Newman said.
Despite some challenging times, Urgences-Sante said paramedics will always be available to answer calls.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Terrifying': Manitoba resident speaks on wildfire and evacuation
As a pair of wildfires burn near Flin Flon and The Pas, a number of Manitobans are being told to evacuate their homes.
Steve Buscemi punched in the face while walking in N.Y.C.
Hollywood actor Steve Buscemi has been treated for injuries after being punched in the face while walking in New York City.
Canucks' Zadorov fined $5,000 for post-game crosscheck on Oilers' McDavid
A Vancouver Canucks defenceman has been given the highest possible fine under the NHL's collective bargaining agreement after a scrum broke out at the end of Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night.
DEVELOPING Michael Cohen takes the stand as testimony in Trump hush money case enters 4th week
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Air quality advisories issued in 5 provinces, 1 territory
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
Jerry Seinfeld speech prompts pro-Palestinian demonstration at U.S. university graduation ceremony
A tiny contingent of Duke University graduates opposed pro-Israel comedian Jerry Seinfeld speaking at their commencement in North Carolina Sunday, with about 30 of the 7,000 students leaving their seats and chanting "free Palestine" amid a mix of boos and cheers.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
opinion Harry and Meghan's Nigerian adventure: Traditional attire to warm welcomes
For her latest column on CTVNews.ca, royal commentator Afua Hagan writes about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's recent visit to Nigeria, calling it a 'deeply meaningful campaign' that was about aligning their ongoing efforts to foster mental-health awareness and promoting the Invictus Games.