Investigations into the deaths of two patients waiting in ER at Anna-Laberge hospital

Investigations have been opened after two patients died while they waited for care in the overcrowded emergency room at Anna-Laberge hospital in Châteauguay on Montreal’s South Shore last week.

The CISSS de la Montérégie-Ouest confirmed the two events and that investigations have been opened into the deaths that occurred during “very high” wait times – but didn’t provide other details surrounding the circumstances. They say they will not comment further, but are expressing sympathies to the families concerned.

“We take these situations very seriously and will cooperate fully with ongoing investigations,” a spokesperson said in an e-mail statement.

The Quebec coroner’s office is also investigating.

“It’s something we never want to hear,” said Dr. Judy Morris, president of the Association of Emergency Physicians of Quebec. “It’s something that we train, we work for so that this never happens.”

One of the patients died while in the waiting room, according to information first uncovered in a report by LaPresse. It’s not yet certain what happened to the other patient.

“Imagine a 72 year old elder having to spend almost 12 hours waiting for attention,” said patients’ rights advocate, Paul Brunet. “That means that according to the literature, that person’s state of health has diminished and degraded. She or he needs to be seen faster than the quota that he had gotten when he was admitted.”

The deaths occurred as most hospitals in the Greater Montreal area have been operating overcapacity for the last weeks.

On Tuesday afternoon, the province’s emergency rooms averaging 137 per cent capacity and Anna-Laberge’s ER at 178 per cent, according to the Index Santé website.

The CISSS de la Montérégie-Ouest says the waiting time is currently very high due to the busy situation.

“The numbers keep going up to levels we’ve never seen before, and especially occupation on the stretcher side of ED, the system has no capacity,” said Dr. Morris. “We cannot absorb any kind of peak or any kind of respiratory illness wave, and when that happens the numbers in emergency room become critical and dangerous and more difficult to give adequate patient care.”

“We’ve been commenting the crisis at emergency for the past 25 years, nobody has solved it, and 25 years ago, there was no COVID, there was no shortage. When and how are we gonna solve this?” asked Brunet. “I think keep the ambulatory patients who don’t need urgent care in other units where they can be seen, which is not always the case. Let’s treat elders at home, see them more often, have a nurse or a doctor see them, not cut in the home care services like we’re doing right now.”

Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé is said to have made a suprise visit to Anna-Laberge on Sunday.

On Tuesday during a press scrum at the National Assembly, Dubé said it’s completely unacceptable to experience this in Quebec ERs.

“I’ve asked a coordinator to get in touch with the doctors I’ve met to follow up, we will closely monitor the results of the coroner’s investigation,” he said.

The spokesperson for CISSS de la Montérégie-Ouest also says meetings have taken place in recent days with the health ministry and other CISSSs in Montérégie to find ways to reduce the pressure on ERs. Other meetings are planned for the beginning of the week, they say.

“We want our care to be the best, the same throughout the emergency departments across the province and the country,” said Dr. Morris. “But unfortunately, when we’re so strained resource-wise, we know this is something that can happen, and we’ve been saying now for quite a while.”

#WATCH: “She should be looked at,” says patients’ rights advocate, Paul Brunet, after two patients died while waiting for care at the ER at Anna-Laberge hospital on Montreal’s South Shore. Investigations have been launched into the deaths.

READ: https://t.co/sKFpfVpefM pic.twitter.com/GiQkqt9BY9

— CityNews Montreal (@CityNewsMTL) December 5, 2023

Health Ministry says wait times higher than usual

Due to the circulation of respiratory viruses, as well the recent strike days that have taken place and that are anticipated, the Quebec Health Ministry says accessing health services will take longer than usual over the next says and weeks.

All essential services continue to be offered 24/7.

Accessing the 811 health-info line will have a longer wait time. On strike days, the Ministry says the service operates at minimum capacity with 60 per cent of nursing staff on duty.

They are asking Quebecers to collaborate by limiting pressure on emergency rooms and front-line options. If it’s not urgent, they say to avoid going to an ER, as 50 per cent of those who consult urgent care do not have urgent issues.

They advise calling 811 or visiting the digital GAP, which is access to first-line appointments.

The Ministry says a coordinating team has been set up to limit the impacts of the wait times and is in regular contact with health establishments.