On the front line, Dr. Christos Karatzios, pediatric infectious disease specialist at the Montreal Hospital, notes an increase more brutal
than previous years in the number of respiratory infections at the start of autumn, a period when the start of school and the arrival of frost traditionally bring their share of illnesses.
Runny nose, sore throat, fever, body aches… Since the end of the summer, his young patients not only present symptoms of acute asthma and bronchiolitis but also viral meningitis which he diagnoses a little more often than normal
as well as viral pneumonia caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), lists Dr. Karatzios.
Internally, the deposit aims to empty the rooms to accommodate new patients given the very long waiting lists
to enter the hospital.
Last resort
Au CHU Sainte-Justine, families are invited to turn to alternative resources if their child’s state of health is not urgent. The hospital currently sees more than 300 patients a day.
However, Dr. Karatzios reminds that a baby less than a month old who shows symptoms of fever should be seen in the emergency room regardless of how busy it is.
In addition, shortage of painkillers for children complicates matters.
Sabrina Gendron, a mother of a 15-month-old boy, does not hide her concern about the relapses – which occur every two weeks – of her son, in whom doctors have diagnosed bronchiolitis.
When he entered daycare, he caught all the diseases
, says Ms. Gendron. She thinks that the social isolation imposed by health measures has not helped to strengthen her son’s immune system.
Sabrina Gendron, mother of a 15-month-old boy, associates her son’s episodes of respiratory distress with a failing immune system due to the scarcity of contacts during health restrictions.
Photo : Radio-Canada
The baby COVID effect? We were so deprived of showing them to everyone that it may have had an impact on their immune system.
she believes.
Shortage of family doctors
According to Alex Munter, President and CEO of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), the difficult access to a family doctor undoubtedly contributes to overload the emergency roomfamilies not knowing which other health service to turn to.
The growth in demand and the decrease in the number of access points [à la santé] result in very busy emergencies and unacceptably long waits
he acknowledges.
« Five or ten years ago, people might have turned to a family doctor or a pediatrician, [mais aujourd’hui]they go to the emergency room, because it is the only option. »
However, when the emergency services are in greater demand, other sectors must provide them with resources, which has the consequence of causing the cancellation of medical appointments or surgeries deemed less urgent, adds Alex Munter.
These are clinic appointments. [reportés] for which the children have already waited too long
he adds, noting all the same a risk for the health and development of young patients.
On Friday, the occupancy rate of the CHEO was 124% in inpatient care units. We are in the process of creating other resources
assures Mr. Munter, referring to the addition of two clinics as well as the hiring of pre-triage staff so that patients who do not have a doctor can see one.
Not only is the attendance rate higher, but the patients admitted are sicker, indicates the CHEO.
We have never experienced a sustained increase like that of the last six months
summarizes the CEO of the hospital establishment, still grappling with the difficult recruitment of personnel in the field of health.
With information from Marie-Josée Paquette-Comeau