Quebec's emergency departments experienced a notable rise in congestion during the week ending July 20, 2026. While the total number of patients inside the ER remained relatively stable—climbing slightly from 3,561 at the start of the week to 3,596 by the end—the number of patients waiting to be seen surged by 16.5%, increasing from 1,236 to 1,440. Overall stretcher occupancy for the province fluctuated slightly, settling at 73% by the end of the week.
The geographical distribution of this pressure remains highly unequal. The Greater Montreal area and its surrounding suburbs continue to bear the brunt of the patient volume. Laval, represented by its sole major facility, Hôpital de la Cité-de-la-Santé, registered a staggering regional stretcher occupancy rate of 137% with 52 patients waiting. Montérégie and Montréal also operated well over capacity, posting 116% and 106% stretcher occupancies respectively. Conversely, regions such as Nord-du-Québec and Bas-Saint-Laurent experienced much quieter weeks, with Nord-du-Québec reporting only 3 waiting patients across its 5 facilities.
At the institutional level, several hotspots require immediate attention. Montérégie's Hôpital Charles-Le Moyne topped the list with 63 patients waiting, followed closely by Laval's Hôpital de la Cité-de-la-Santé with 52. Perhaps the most striking bottleneck occurred at Montreal's Jewish General Hospital; despite having a moderate list of 33 waiting patients, its stretcher occupancy reached a critical peak of 198%, signaling severe flow challenges and prolonged transition times to inpatient beds.