On August 24, 2026, Quebec's emergency departments experienced a notable reduction in waiting volumes compared to three days prior, although stretcher occupancy rates remain critically high in several regions. According to historical data from urgencesquebec.com, the latest snapshot recorded 996 patients waiting and 3,201 total patients in ERs across 120 facilities. This represents a significant decrease of 434 waiting patients compared to August 22, 2026, despite a 6 percentage point increase in provincial stretcher occupancy, which reached 78%.
The pressure is heavily concentrated in the Greater Montreal area. Laval reported the highest regional stretcher occupancy at 163%, driven by Hôpital de la Cité-de-la-Santé. Laurentides (124%), Montréal (117%), and Montérégie (112%) also exceeded their stretcher capacities. Individually, Hôpital Charles-Le Moyne in Montérégie was the busiest facility with 60 patients waiting, followed by the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) with 49 waiting and a 137% stretcher occupancy rate.