A Busy Weekend Ahead for Urgences-Santé

MONTREAL, June 24, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Another difficult weekend, mainly in the evening and at night, is expected at Corporation d'Urgences-Santé. We anticipate a higher call volume due to the various festivities surrounding the National Holiday, sports activities, travel, and gatherings scheduled for this weekend. Besides this special context, we are expecting good weather over the next few days. Meanwhile, the labour shortage issue remains at the heart of our concerns.  Consequently, we invite the population to only use our services in cases of emergency.

Concerning the 811 number: "emergency medical dispatchers are not trained to give advice to the population, unlike the nurses who answer 811, who are trained to give advice. Therefore, we invite you to contact 911 for emergencies only" explains Jean-Pierre Rouleau, the Corporate Spokesperson for Urgences-Santé.

For non-emergency cases, we encourage the public to self-refer to a hospital whenever possible. "People think they will get to the emergency room faster if they arrive by ambulance, but this is not true. Paramedics are greeted by the same nurses when they arrive at the general hospital, and prioritization is determined by the severity of the case. "

"The anticipated high demand might have an impact on the response time for non-urgent calls.    However, I want to reassure the population that urgent calls will be prioritized and answered quickly," continues Mr. Rouleau.

"Several measures have already been put in place and will be in place in the coming hours to ensure we are able to fulfil our mission. More specifically, managers will be on the road, a request for assistance has been sent to other ambulance organizations, and we will deploy other measures depending on how the situation progresses," said Mr. Rouleau.

It should also be noted that Corporation d'Urgences-Santé is in a continuous hiring process. "Despite the recruitment difficulties affecting our sector, like many others in Quebec, we will be welcoming 20 new paramedics and 14 emergency medical dispatchers in the coming weeks and other hires are expected in the fall. This is good news that should give our employees a break," says the spokesperson.

"Finally, remember to stay well hydrated and limit your physical activities during hot weather.

 Choose shady areas and be especially careful with alcohol abuse and vulnerable people, especially children and elderly people," the spokesperson concludes.

Corporation d'urgences-santé, operating under Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, is the largest ambulance service organization in Québec. It employs close to 1,700 people, including more than 1,100 paramedics and more than 110 emergency medical dispatchers, who serve residents of Montréal and Laval (2.5 million people).

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SOURCE Urgences-santé