Montreal’s two pediatric hospitals are facing serious overcrowding, with emergency rooms stretched beyond capacity as families seek care for flu-related illnesses that doctors say often don’t require an ER visit.
At the Montreal Children’s Hospital, the emergency department has been inundated with patients in recent days. The waiting room has been packed, with lineups stretching toward the doors as staff struggle to keep up.
Dr. Harley Eisman, pediatric emergency medical director at the hospital, says the ER is designed to handle about 200 patients a day. Over the weekend, however, he said registrations climbed to more than 300.
“A lot of parents are coming because of concern of fever,” Eisman told Global News Tuesday, adding, “I think they have to understand that fever is the body’s natural response to an infection. Most of these fevers are viral, probably caused by the flu.”
Eisman says while staff have no issue treating children who are seriously ill, a significant portion of visits could have been avoided. Between Dec. 8 and 14, more than 40 per cent of patients came in with minor health issues that could have been treated at home.
Get weekly health news
Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.
A similar situation is unfolding at CHU Sainte-Justine, where emergency room staff say they are also seeing a surge in flu patients.
Dr. Antonio D’Angelo, emergency room director there, says staff are being forced to devote extensive nursing resources to triage, rather than focusing on the sickest children in the ER.
“We have to really use up all the resources to triage patients instead of actually having those resources applied to the more sick patients,” D’Angelo said.
Both doctors said they stress they understand why parents are worried when a child has a fever, but after waiting as long as 12 hours, most flu patients are ultimately told to manage symptoms at home, as there is little a hospital can offer beyond supportive care.
“We’re going to tell you, take some fever reducer and go home,” Eisman said.
Physicians say parents should bring a child to the ER if an infant under three months has a fever, if a child is dehydrated and not drinking fluids, or if they are wheezing or struggling to breathe. Children who are difficult to wake or not responding appropriately should also be seen immediately.
For typical flu symptoms, however, doctors recommend staying home, calling Quebec’s 811 health line, or visiting a local clinic instead of the ER filled with contagious patients.
Eisman added that “some parents come in looking worse than their kids, actually. We’re like, why are you here? Stay home.”
Doctors said they expect some relief as children head into the holiday break from school and daycare.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
