Intervention at Hôpital Anna-Laberge

  • August 18, 2021
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The Protecteur du citoyen was informed about various problems with the care and services at Hôpital Anna-Laberge. Allegedly, the emergency room was frequently overcrowded. Too many people on stretchers were waiting to be hospitalized. As a result, some people were spending their entire stay at the emergency room. This is where they were treated, instead of on the appropriate unit. The Protecteur du citoyen decided to intervene.

Findings

The investigation showed that the allegations are legitimate. For several years, the emergency room at Hôpital Anna-Laberge has been grappling with serious overcrowding. There are multiple causes for this (understaffing, not enough hospital beds, outdated computer system, etc.). Despite the staff’s good intentions, the circumstances are such that:

The Protecteur du citoyen made 18 recommendations, including 16 to Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) de la Montérégie-Ouest, the institution responsible for the care and services provided at Hôpital Anna-Laberge. The two other recommendations were made directly to the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux. The Protecteur du citoyen also asked the CISSS and the Department for six separate follow-ups every three months, starting on October 29, 2021.

The CISSS and the Department ensured the Protecteur du citoyen that they would cooperate fully. They indicated that they would carry out any required follow-up so that the various requests made in the report are adequately addressed. Note that action is already underway to improve the situation.

The Protecteur du citoyen sees to it that the rights of health and social services network users are upheld. Want to report a troubling situation you have witnessed? Do you feel that the rights of a service user or several service users have not been respected? Report it by calling us at 1-800-463-5070 or by using our online complaint form.