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.
“Emergency services should be reserved for people whose condition requires immediate care,” Eisman said in a joint news release between the MCH and CHU Sainte-Justine.
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.”…