One call, one appointment!

*****ADDITION*****

Holiday schedule for the One Call, One Appointment line

* December 20 to 23 inclusive: regular schedule (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.)

* December 24 to 27 inclusive: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

* December 28 to 30 inclusive: regular schedule (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.)

* December 31 and January 1 to 3 inclusive: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

* January 4: Back to regular schedule

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Now a direct access to an appointment for your child, in Montreal

514 890-6111

 The Montreal Children's Hospital (Children's) of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and the Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ) are pleased to announce the creation of a new single telephone number by the DRMG (Département régional de médecine générale de Montréal) that will allow Montreal families to quickly obtain a medical appointment for their child who is ill but whose condition does not require a visit to the emergency department.

514 890-6111

The chief of the Département régional de médecine générale de Montréal (DRMG), Dr. François Loubert, is pleased with the implementation of the One Call, One Appointment line. He also reminds us that family physicians are part of the solution to relieve emergency room congestion at the two academic pediatric health centres.

"The 80 or so Family medicine groups (FMGs) and 350 medical clinics on the island of Montreal must be the first port of call in the healthcare network," says Dr. Loubert. "The FMGs and medical clinics on the island of Montreal have the capacity to meet the needs of the population. Patients of all ages should not hesitate to make an appointment for a regular follow-up or a non-urgent health problem that requires immediate intervention."

"This new offer, which is intended to provide rapid occasional care to 0 to 16-year-olds, will be offered Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This is a simple and effective solution to support parents faced with a one-off, semi-urgent health problem," rejoiced Dr. Marc Girard, Director of Professional Services at the CHU Sainte-Justine.

"We welcome this new service; it will allow us to treat children who must be seen quickly by a physician, but do not need to rush to the emergency department, which is instead designed and equipped to save children in critical condition," said Dr. Robert Barnes, Associate Director of Professional Services at the Montreal Children's Hospital.

This service, aimed specifically at the Montreal population, will seamlessly match the parent of an ailing child to a pediatric appointment within a few hours.

For an appointment in another region, it is possible to visit the Québec Medical Appointment Scheduler website.

Avoiding long waits in pediatric emergency rooms

In addition to facilitating access to a quick appointment, the implementation of this new offer will allow parents to avoid going to the pediatric emergency room for health problems that require quick attention, but can be easily treated in the consultation office. For many weeks, the emergency rooms at the Children's and Sainte-Justine have been extremely busy, resulting in long waits for families and exhaustion among medical staff.

It’s important to note that patients should try to get an appointment with their family doctor or their FMG before calling this line. And of course, in the event of an acute health problem, with a deterioration in the child's general condition, parents should not hesitate to call the emergency services.