Quebec hopes to facilitate access to the health system with this new tool

Minister of Health and Social Services, Christian Dubé./Josie Desmarais/Subway Archives

A new information tool launched by the Ministry of Health is now available on its website to help the Quebec population better navigate the health system. Thanks to the compilation of data, the tool generates alternatives to emergencies that are available in different regions of Quebec, such as making an appointment with a health professional or calling 811.

For each emergency, users will be able to know the figures for the number of people present in the emergency, the patients waiting to see a doctor in addition to the occupancy rate of the stretchers. The average lengths of stay for a patient in the waiting room and for a patient waiting on a stretcher will also be present on the tool.

“We are determined to continue our collaboration with the entire network to reduce the pressure on our emergency services while increasing their reception capacity. Furthermore, our new information tool will make it possible to better identify the alternatives available and to offer the population an even more accurate portrait of the state, in real time, of our health and social services network,” said the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, on this subject.

This device is part of the new measures aimed at reducing the pressure on emergencies, while some hospitals have asked in recent weeks to redirect ambulances to other emergencies due to a lack of staff. The Ministry of Health specifies that “an encouraging trend is emerging” but that the situation “remains precarious” in emergencies in the province.