The two Windsor-Essex hospital systems with emergency departments (ED) say they're still feeling the strain of caring for patients.
Windsor Regional Hospital and Erie Shores Healthcare are asking residents again to leave the emergency room only for last-resort or life-or-death issues, as high patient volumes continue to contribute to hours-long waits for patients visiting the EDs.
At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Windsor Regional reported over five-hour waits to see a doctor or nurse practitioner at its Met and Ouellete campuses. At Erie Shores in Leamington, it was a three-and-a-half-hour wait.
"Although emergency cases are always attended to rapidly and receive immediate medical treatment, patients should expect that wait times and treatment for any ailments other than emergencies will be much longer than usual, as they have been for the past several weeks," read a joint release from the two hospitals. "Ambulance response times for non-emergency situations may also be longer than usual."
Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare in Windsor has no on-site emergency room at its Prince Road campus.
Patients who need medical care should contact their primary care physicians first. If their doctor is not available, they should then visit a walk-in clinic or urgent care centre.
An emergency is defined as any instance where illness or injury has an immediate impact on human life. Patients experiencing a life-or-death emergency are urged to call 911.
Both WRH and Erie Shores have provided guidance online for those looking for medical care in places other than the ED. Essex-Windsor EMS has also provided information on whether a certain case qualifies as an emergency needing an ambulance.
