Two paediatric hospitals in Montreal are advising parents against bringing children who do not need immediate medical attention to the emergency department due to a rise in patients suffering from viruses and respiratory infections.
Montreal Children’s Hospital (MCH) medical director Dr. Harley Eisman said parents should consider alternative care for children who are not seriously ill or injured.
Eisman recommended parents call the 8-1-1 phone line or visit a walk-in clinic for children who do not have medical emergencies. But both hospitals said that “no child in need of medical care will be turned away.”
Medical chief at the CHU Sainte-Justine, Dr. Antonio D’Angelo, said that each child is assessed by a member of the nursing staff when they arrive at the ER, and then seen by a doctor “in order of priority.”
“Children with colds, flu or gastroenteritis and mild symptoms will need to be patient before they can see a doctor in the ER,” D’Angelo said.
Those with minor health issues accounted for more than 40 percent of visits to the emergency room at MCH between Dec. 8 and 14, according to the news release. The average occupancy rate of stretchers for the emergency room during that time was more than 130 percent.
The number of patients with minor health concerns at the CHU Sainte-Justine emergency room was 40 percent between Dec. 7 and 13, 2025, while the average occupancy rate was 147 percent.
The hospitals have advised parents to “immediately” visit an emergency room if they have a baby younger than three months old with a fever. Children should also be brought in if they are unusually sleepy or confused, having difficulty breathing, are unable to retain fluids, or show signs of dehydration.
Parents should also seek immediate care for a child with injuries such as a head trauma accompanied by loss of consciousness, confusion, or recurrent vomiting, a laceration that might require stitches, an eye injury, burns that have blistered, or any injury where a fracture is suspected.
Parents have been advised that critically ill or injured patients are seen first and the wait times for “less urgent” cases could be “quite long” and were reminded to bring along provisions like formula, baby food, diapers, and pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
The hospitals have also asked that the number of family members attending the emergency room be kept to a minimum because the waiting areas and exam areas are small.
