On March 27, 2026, Quebec's emergency room network saw an upward trend in occupancy, with the total number of patients in ERs rising from 4,362 to 4,444. Stretcher capacity is nearing its limit across the province, averaging 97% overall. Significant regional disparities persist, as Montréal and several surrounding regions are operating well over 100% capacity, while Nord-du-Québec and Bas-Saint-Laurent remain relatively stable.
The situation is particularly acute in Laval, where Hôpital de la Cité-de-la-Santé is struggling with a 169% stretcher occupancy rate. Other high-pressure zones include Montérégie, which hosts two of the top five busiest hospitals (Pierre-Boucher and Honoré-Mercier). Despite the high volume of patients in ERs, the total number of patients waiting to be seen across the 116 facilities grew by approximately 11% throughout the observation period, signaling a slowdown in patient throughput as the day progressed. (estimate)