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2026-05-01 — Daily report — Quebec ERs see a sharp 16% increase in stretcher occupancy over the past week, with Montérégie and Laval exceeding 150% capacity.

Generated on 2026-05-01

Key Takeaways

  • •Overall stretcher occupancy has surged by 16 percentage points compared to last week, reaching a provincial average of 92%.
  • •Montérégie and Laval are facing critical pressure with occupancy rates peaking at 150% and 159% respectively.
  • •Waits have increased significantly since April 25, with 149 more patients currently waiting for care across the 119 reporting facilities.

Quebec's emergency room network is experiencing heightened pressure as of May 1, 2026, with data from urgencesquebec.com showing a total of 1,265 patients waiting and a province-wide stretcher occupancy rate of 92%. This represents a notable deterioration in conditions compared to last week (April 25), when the stretcher occupancy was significantly lower at 76%. The number of patients physically in the ER has risen by over 1,000 in the seven-day period, indicating a substantial increase in clinical volume.

Regional disparities are stark, with suburban and metropolitan areas bearing the brunt of the congestion. Montérégie and Laurentides are operating well over capacity at 150% and 128% stretcher occupancy, respectively. Individual facilities like Hôpital de la Cité-de-la-Santé (159%) and Hôpital de Hull (216%) are under extreme strain. Conversely, regions such as Nord-du-Québec remain relatively stable with only 8% occupancy. Despite the overall high volume, Hôpital de Chicoutimi and Hôpital Pierre-Boucher currently report the highest individual number of patients waiting for a physician consultation.

· MSSS hourly file · Données Québec