Emergency rooms are overflowing; Santé Québec is asking for other resources to be considered
Posted November 12, 2026 2:38 pm.
Quebec’s emergency rooms are extremely busy. Several hospitals have been overwhelmed for several days, and the situation shows no signs of abating. Quebec’s public health agency says that public cooperation is essential to alleviate the pressure on emergency rooms, which are under immense strain due to the early flu season and other viruses.
The most recent figures from the Quebec National Institute of Public Health show that the positivity rate for influenza tests was 12.2 per cent. At the same time last year, the positivity rate was 1.2 per cent.
On Thursday morning, the occupancy rate was 130 per cent for all emergency rooms in Quebec, a situation similar to the last 10 days. Last year, from November 9 to 13, 2025, occupancy rates fluctuated between 100 per cent and 114 per cent, indicating a certain impact from the early circulation of respiratory viruses this year.
The peak of the flu season was reached at the end of December. The day with the highest average occupancy was recorded on January 6, with a rate of 137 per cent.
Some regions are in a rather critical situation, notably in Montérégie, where the Sorel hospital had an occupancy rate of 235 per cent, the Pierre-Boucher Hospital 187 per cent, and the Honoré-Mercier, Suroît, and Anne-Laberge hospitals all exceeded 160 per cent.
On Thursday morning, there were nearly 4,150 people in Quebec emergency rooms. On average, people waited almost six hours in the emergency room waiting area on Wednesday. The average length of stay for people waiting on stretchers was 21 hours and 36 minutes.
The long waiting times and staff overload are reminiscent of the tragedy that occurred on November 2 at Pierre-Le Gardeur Hospital in Terrebonne, when an octogenarian was found dead in the emergency room waiting area toilets after waiting all night.
Call 8-1-1 before going to the emergency room
In Montreal on Thursday morning, four hospitals were at 200 per cent or more occupancy: the Royal Victoria Hospital, LaSalle Hospital, Lakeshore General Hospital, and the Jewish General Hospital (at 245 per cent). The Montreal Children’s Hospital was also experiencing high occupancy, at 175 per cent.
In the Outaouais region, the Gatineau and Hull hospitals had occupancy rates of 182 per cent and 172 per cent, respectively. In the Laurentians, the Mont-Laurier Hospital and the Saint-Jérôme Hospital were both nearing 190 per cent. On the North Shore, the Sept-Îles Hospital had 200 per cent occupancy and the Le Royer Hospital 170 per cent.
Due to these ongoing overcrowdings, Santé Québec is asking the public to avoid emergency rooms unless they have a genuine medical emergency. “Before going to the emergency room, we strongly advise calling 8-1-1,” Quebec Public Health wrote in a statement released Thursday. By selecting option 1, a nurse can assess the person’s health problem and direct them to the appropriate resource. The average wait time to speak to an 8-1-1 professional was 1 hour and 40 minutes on Wednesday.
Quebecers can also consult pharmacists, who are able to provide advice on various treatments. Flu vaccination is also available in many pharmacies for approximately $30 to $50. Vaccination is free for certain groups, including people aged 65 and over and those living with certain chronic illnesses, such as asthma and diabetes.
—The Canadian Press’s health coverage is supported by a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for this journalistic content.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
