Most Quebecers get together with family and friends on Christmas Eve, but many professions require people to remain on the job at all times, including health-care workers.
From emergency services to ambulances and the various hospital departments, the festive atmosphere still manages to creep into the work shifts.
“The atmosphere is really pleasant. Many paramedics and employees are wearing Christmas hats. A lot of them decorate the front of the ambulances with garlands and lights, so it brings a really festive atmosphere to the day,” said Urgences-Sante ambulance driver Adrianne Venne in Montreal.
Inside hospitals, there are a few small decorations, but not everything is allowed because of infection prevention.
But that’s not the most important thing, according to Audrey-Anne Turcotte Brousseau, CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS department head. She is an emergency physician at Fleurimont and Hôtel-Dieu hospitals.
“The festive atmosphere is more about people’s attitude and the fact …