‘Saved my life’: Community members, doctors rejoice decision to fully reopen Lachine Hospital

Montreal’s Lachine Hospital is getting a new lease on life. The institution that saw its services being reduced multiple times, will soon become a community hospital with a full emergency room operating 24/7 – instead of 14 hours a day, as it has been.

A petition was launched to help save the hospital and on Tuesday, a unanimous motion was passed at the National Assembly to guarantee its services – with the MUHC making it official on Wednesday.

“It’s really exciting news because I’ve been saved by the hospital here. I was supposed to be transported to Verdun, but they didn’t have enough time to get there, so they did stop in Lachine and saved my life,” said Debbie Ann Vokey who has been fighting for the hospital that helped her make it through a pulmonary embolism.

“If this emergency didn’t exist, 24/7, because we don’t choose when we have a heart attack, then we’re putting at risk our whole population,” she added. “If it wasn’t for the Lachine hospital, I wouldn’t be here today. So I’m ecstatic.”

Amid the reduction in services, ambulances have been redirected to other health centres. But other hospitals are dealing with their own capacity issues.

“Normally I would be going to the Lakeshore General Hospital to have my surgery,” said Dave Bodi. “But I was directed here to have this surgery because they can’t do it there just simply because they don’t have the time or the room.”

“I’m happy because we need this hospital,” said Jeannine Lemieux in French.

The MUHC says that by September, a working group will work to ensure the necessities are in place for a full reopening

“I think we need to move as quickly as possible to implement some of these changes step wise matter. I think that this is important not only for the population, because we know whenever their people are transferred to other places, there’s increasing morbidity and mortality,” said Dr. Paul Saba, a family physician and healthcare advocate.

In a press release on Wednesday, the MUHC said:  “[…] After the analysis of several factors, including the fact that the Lachine Hospital is located in an urban area a few kilometres from other hospitals that offer these services, the Intensive Care Unit will not reopen. Protocols for transferring patients to other sites, which have been in place for over a year, will remain in place.”

“For it to have a fully functional, successful community hospital with ambulance services and a fully open E.R., you need a care unit where patients who have been taken care of can be monitored,” added Dr. Saba.

The hospital is undergoing a $220-million plus modernization project and the MUHC says that inpatient units, which currently include 36 beds, will be gradually expanded over the next year and a half – if staffing permits.

The new changes will also allow for the hospital to admit patients with more acute conditions, like Debbie Ann Vokey once endured.

“I’m lucky I’m here and hopefully other people can be saved once the emergency reopens.”