Raj Dabb says his brother was left in a hospital bed in the hallway at Brampton Civic Hospital for three days as he waited for some medical test results, and many others are facing the same issue at the hospital this week.

Dabb's brother lies on a bed in front of a busy exit in a hallway at Brampton Civic Hospital. (Raj Dabb/Twitter)

Dabb's brother was moved into a second floor room on Tuesday evening, but not before spending three straight days lying in a stretcher in the hallway with as many as 10 other patients as the hospital experiences what it calls a "surge".

Dabb complained to the hospital staff that his brother, who has Crohn's disease and is suffering from intestinal problems, was lying behind an exit where people are coming and going through double doors.

"The head of administrative staff in the ER told us to talk to our MPP if we had a problem with [the] lack of rooms," said Dabb.

Dabb walked around the hospital and saw other patients in hallways, "in a worse situation than us."

"I counted a total of 10 beds in the hallway with two nurses," he said. "A makeshift of a nurse's desk made of rolling food tray stands."

'Surge' was expected

As staff explain it, the hospital is experiencing a surge in patients. There are 72 beds, and they currently have 32 patients in those beds. That leaves 40 free beds for incoming patients.

More patients wait in the hallways of Brampton Civic Hospital. (Raj Dabb/Twitter)

But the hospital estimates it will have 400 patients incoming during the course of the day.

At any given time, there are 110 people in the hospital's emergency room. On Monday of this week, it dealt with 430 patients.

The surge is caused by an influx of patients due to flu season, and a shortage of staff due to upcoming holidays.

The hospital opens up other beds on other floors, but end up using spare spaces for patients.

The hospital denied it was a bed shortage.

Staff expected the surge, but not until next week.