Lakeshore Hospital stopping elective surgeries Monday, staff shifting to ICU and ER
Posted September 19, 2021 12:37 pm.
MONTREAL (CityNews) — The Lakeshore General Hospital in Pointe-Claire will stop elective surgeries as of Monday due to the increasing number of COVID-19 patients.
The hospital says it needs to shift staff to the ICU and ER.
The CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, in charge of the hospital, says they’ll be reviewing the services they can offer daily.
The nurse’s union is reporting they were told operating rooms will only be open for emergencies and to treat cancer patients.
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- Quebec faces nursing shortage as fourth wave hits the province
- Report calls on province to look at nursing problem
Staffing shortages are affecting health services in other Quebec regions as well. In Abitibi-Témiscamingue, an emergency room shut down in the town of Senneterre. Officials there say they are missing more than 200 nurses.
On Sept. 14, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube described the situation as a crisis. The next day, Premier Legault said more than 4,000 nurses were missing from the public sector, many having retired or left the job altogether.
The government said they will unveil a plan to tackle the issue in the coming days.
