Sainte-Justine, Montreal Children's hospitals swamped by flu cases

Montreal's two children's hospitals are struggling to manage record-breaking numbers in their ERs, triggered by a flood of patients with flu-like symptoms.

Officials at the Montreal Children's andSainte-Justinehospitalsare urging anyone with mild symptoms like stomach upset and fever to stay home.

"Emergency services should be reserved for people whose state of health requires urgent care," said Dr. AntonioD'Angelo, chief of emergency medicine atSainte-JustineHospital, in a statement.

"If you have the flu, drink plenty of water and rest. You can also ask your pharmacist to relieve your symptoms."

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Speaking to CBC,D'Angelosaid that patients withnon-urgent cases at Sainte Justine have had to wait up to 12 hours in recent days.

TheSainte-JustineERcurrently treatsabout 300 patients a day, which is about 80 people over capacity, he said.

Few alternatives

D'Angelo said partof the problem is parents havefew alternativesto the ER, especially outside regular work hours.

"I think definitely the health system has to adapt to help working families so that there are services available on evenings and weekends," he said.

"This is when we see our highest numbers of patients."

The hospitals say parents concerned about their child who is suffering from a cold or flushould first callInfo-Santat 811, consult their family doctor or talk to a pharmacist about managing symptoms.