With emergency rooms under heavy strain and reduced hours at some clinics and pharmacies, Quebec Public Health is reminding residents to consider self-care at home and to call 811 before heading to the hospital.
The free, confidential Info-Santé and Info-Social line operates 24 hours a day and connects callers with healthcare professionals who can offer advice for non-urgent health concerns or psychosocial needs. Officials say the service plays a key role in reducing unnecessary emergency visits.
“Adopting the right practices at home and contacting Info-Santé 811 are essential reflexes to help decongest the network,” said Véronique Wilson, Director General Coordination, Access, Integrated Emergency and Primary Care Services at Santé Québec. “Even if a wait time is sometimes necessary on 811, it is often preferable to wait online or select the automatic callback, at home, rather than in a crowded emergency room, where the presence of several viruses can increase the risk of contagion or a deterioration of one’s condition.”
Many common illnesses, including flu-like symptoms, COVID-19, gastroenteritis and fever, can often be managed at home using guidance available on the sante.quebec website.
When callers do contact 811, nurses and other professionals assess symptoms, provide self-care advice and direct patients to appropriate services when needed.
Public Health data show that between December 2024 and December 2025, 37 per cent of calls were resolved by phone without requiring travel, while only one in six resulted in a visit to the emergency room. Respiratory and digestive symptoms are among the most common reasons for calling.
The 811 service receives more than 1.6 million calls each year. While wait times can increase during peak periods, a call-back option allows users to avoid staying on hold. Authorities stress that anyone facing a true emergency should still call 911 or go directly to the nearest emergency department.
Dr. Donald Vinh says his Montreal hospital — McGill University Health Centre — is bursting at the seams as the province grapples with a combination of flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.
Emergency-room occupancy data listed 15 Montreal hospitals above 100-per-cent occupancy as of this afternoon, with two of them over 200 per cent.
Vinh says people can protect themselves by getting vaccinated against flu and COVID, as well as taking precautions such as frequent handwashing and wearing a mask when ill.
He says most sick people are better off staying home, but they need to quickly see a doctor if they develop severe symptoms such as trouble breathing, a high fever that lasts several days, confusion or dehydration.
—With files from The Canadian Press
