“I made a surprise visit to Lakeshore Hospital to talk to the local people,” Dubé wrote on X.
This text is a translation of an article from CTV News.
“I was able to speak with the head nurse at the emergency department who told me about improvements to scheduling to create a better work environment.”
1/2I made a surprise visit to Lakeshore Hospital to chat with the local people. I was able to speak with the head nurse at the emergency department who told me about improvements in appointment management that are contributing to a better work environment.
— Christian Dubé (@cdube_sante) January 20, 2024
According to Health Index, Lakeshore's emergency room is at 145% capacity. Montreal's average emergency room capacity is 119%, higher than the provincial average of 107%. However, average capacity in the province has decreased by 131% over the past 10 days. Dubé told reporters at the time that the difficult situation in the emergency room would continue for some time.
On Saturday, the minister expressed optimism about ongoing work at Lakeshore to improve its capacity.
“I was also able to follow the progress of the modular expansion work for the emergency department,” he wrote. This is a concrete gesture to better meet the needs of the population.”
The West Island of Montreal's Integrated University Center for Health and Social Services (CIUSSS-OIM) purchased a modular building this week that will soon house its emergency department. The CIUSSS announced this week that it will remain in place for “several years” while work on a new service begins next year.
“The building will provide a modern environment that meets existing standards, is more accessible and guarantees a safer environment to provide higher quality care and services to the community,” the CIUSSS said in a press release. The modular building will also house the University-Affiliated Family Medicine Group (GMF-U), managed by McGill University.
The modular building is expected to open in the spring.