Early this week, Maureen Armstrong’s elderly mother had a fall and was rushed to a Windsor, Ont., emergency room by ambulance. Shockingly, she endured a wait of over 48 hours before being admitted.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Armstrong expressed to CBC News that her 81-year-old mother was still confined to a hospital hallway, awaiting a proper bed.
Armstrong described the environment as loud, chaotic, and at times volatile, with security guards managing unruly patients. She voiced concerns about the unhealthiness of such prolonged exposure.
Unfortunately, Armstrong’s mother’s situation is not unique.
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Are Canada’s hospital emergency rooms facing a new crisis?
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Toronto hospital’s emergency care facilities overwhelmed by patient demand
A recent report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) revealed that one in 10 Canadians admitted to hospitals in the 2024-2025 fiscal year spent more than 48 hours in the emergency department, a significant increase from previous years.
The CIHI report identified several factors contributing to the worsening backlog, including limited emergency room capacity, challenges in accessing standard care, and the aging population of the country.
Dr. Michael Herman, an emergency physician in the Ottawa area, highlighted the strain on emergency departments due to overcrowding, leading to admitted patients being housed in hallways and shared rooms.
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