Dawn Peta News Today

There appears to have been a large and possibly record-setting number of temporary ER closures or service interruptions across the country in 2023 so far, with CTV News finding hundreds instances where a hospital emergency unit, usually in a rural community, has been shut down for hours or days to Canadians seeking emergency care.

Some doctors estimate 8,000 to 15,000 Canadians are dying because of emergency room overcrowding, a trend prompting hospital staff to get creative, treating patients everywhere from chairs to public bathrooms.