When to go to an Emergency Department

Go to an Emergency Department for critical or life-threatening conditions or mental health emergencies.

Our emergency departments provide the highest level of care for medical issues such as:

• Involvement in a major accident
• Trouble breathing or catching your breath
• Severe abdominal or chest pain/pressure
• Signs of stroke, for example facial droop, arm weakness or slurred speech
• Loss of consciousness
• Uncontrolled bleeding

• At risk of or are threatening to seriously harm themselves or others. You can also access crisis intervention and suicide prevention services.
• TSeeing or hearing things.
• Believing things that are not true.
• Unable to care for themselves such as not eating, sleeping, bathing, getting out of bed or dressing.
• Still having trouble with symptoms even after they tried treatment with therapy, medication and support.

Mental Health Resources

Wait times can vary depending on time, location and your level of need. People are seen in the Emergency Department based on how hurt or sick they are, which means the sickest people first even if you've arrived before them. Many of Meca's hospital sites provide 24-hour emergency services, however operating hours may vary.