Ontario - Emergency departments across Canada are facing a dilemma, there aren’t enough nurses to staff the ER.

Canada one of the richest countries in the world, is lauded for its universal publicly funded healthcare system. But in recent months, Canada's system is described by workers and hospital executives as being in a state of "crisis".

That includes struggling emergency rooms, which have to temporarily close or cut back hours at its emergency departments.

Toronto ER physician Dr Raghu Venugopal told BBC that he has seen stretchers lining the hallways, occupied by patients suffering from ailments like a broken hip or abdominal pains.

On some days, those patients may wait anywhere from two to four days to be admitted to hospital, all while a team of two nurses tends to a total of 50 to 60 patients on the unit.

Other patients are being examined in the waiting room because the lack of staff has forced parts of the ER to close, meaning there is limited space for doctors to see them privately.

The challenges brought on by Covid-19 bear part of the blame.

Many nurses in Canada - fatigued from the pandemic -have said they plan to leave the profession due to burnout and limited support. Similar sentiments have been expressed by nurses in the US and in the UK, where a strike vote over wages is looming.

Over the years, as Canada's population grew in size and age, its healthcare capacity struggled to keep up. Rural hospitals - where it can be a challenge to recruit staff - have been most affected.

This is made worse by a vacuum of nursing talent that existed before the pandemic.

It is estimated that Canada will be short 117,600 nurses by 2030. A third of the current workforce is close to retirement, and in a 2021 national survey, nearly 60% of early-career nurses say they are considering leaving their current job.

Some solutions to the crisis proposed by those in the sector include increasing wages for existing nurses, allowing internationally-educated nurses to practice in Canada, and increasing the capacity of nursing schools across the country, especially in rural areas.

Others have called for funding to be increased for care based in the community, so that people can access help before they end up in the ER.