During Week 44 of 2026 (ending October 26), emergency rooms across Quebec's 108 reporting facilities presented a mixed operational picture. Overall active patient volumes inside emergency departments saw a notable reduction, dropping from 4,148 patients at the start of the week to 3,563 by week's end, accompanied by a decline in average stretcher occupancy from 95% to 81%. However, patient inflow pressure remained visible as total individuals waiting to be seen rose from 1,128 to 1,343 over the same period.
Severe regional disparities continue to define ER performance across the province. Greater Montreal and neighboring suburban regions endured substantial operational strain, with Laval recording the highest regional stretcher occupancy rate at 147%, followed by Laurentides (128%), Montréal (122%), and Montérégie (121%). In terms of absolute numbers, Montréal carried the largest waiting burden with 355 patients across its 21 facilities. By contrast, rural and eastern regions such as Nord-du-Québec (20%), Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine (32%), and Bas-Saint-Laurent (34%) operated well within normal capacity limits.
At the facility level, severe overcrowding points were concentrated in major urban hospitals. L'Hôpital de Montréal Pour Enfants topped the waiting volume list with 59 waiting patients, followed by Hôpital Pierre-Le Gardeur (51 waiting) and Hôpital de Saint-Eustache (49 waiting). Furthermore, extreme stretcher congestion affected several major centers, led by Hôpital général Juif at 192% stretcher capacity, Hôpital de Saint-Jérôme at 166%, Hôpital de Granby at 150%, and Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) at 147%.