Quebec Health Minister says situation critical in 10 hospitals as COVID-19 patients top 1,000
With Quebec s COVID-19 situation spiraling, Health Minister Christian Dubé says people must follow health restrictions over the holidays or hospitals will be overrun in January.
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As COVID-19 fills hospitals, health-care workers face exhaustion, fear Doctors worry they may soon have to choose which patients will get critical care as the number of patients requiring treatment grows.
Author of the article: Matthew Lapierre • Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Publishing date: Dec 17, 2020 • December 17, 2020 • 6 minute read • Royal Victoria Hospital respiratory therapist Jennifer Hostetter holds up a picture of herself. Hospital employees clip the photos on their uniforms so patients can see what they look like behind the masks they must wear at all times due to COVID-19. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
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In our city’s hospitals, next to the whirring life-support machines and down the hall from the patients on ventilators, doctors, nurses and other critical-care workers are reaching their limits.
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As hospitals in the Montreal region scramble to accommodate an expected jump in hospitalizations during the next two weeks, some health-care workers are desperately hoping Montrealers will cancel any plans they may have for Christmas or New Year’s gatherings.
At the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), an “urgent” memo went out Thursday to all physicians with the subject line: “SOS COVID UNITS”. It explained that the MUHC has been asked to increase its COVID ward capacity to 180 beds from 120, and its ICU beds for COVID patients to 30 from 21.
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