The treacherous, slippery conditions on the streets and sidewalks are being felt at Montreal university hospitals. The number of admissions due to weather-related injuries is way up at the Royal Victoria and Montreal General Hospitals.
At the Royal Vic, there were eight cases related to icy falls in the week of Jan. 8 to 14. The number more than tripped to 25 in the week of Jan. 22 to 28.
It’s a similar story at the Montreal General Hospital: 38 cases between Jan. 8th to 14th. The number rose to 72 between Jan. 22 and 28.
“I won’t tell you the number of people I’ve seen at the General who are relatively young, relatively healthy. Their legs gave out from under them and they smashed their ankle or wrist. It just happens unfortunately,” Dr. Mitch Shulman, an emergency room doctor at the MUHC told Global News.
Montreal ERs are already pushed to the limit as doctors deal with an outbreak of the flu. Now they’re having to treat patients coming in after falling on the ice.
“January and February are always difficult times in our emergency rooms across the island of Montreal. It’s predictable, it’s expected and that hasn’t changed in the last couple of years,” Shulman added.