The bill aimed at making the health network more efficient has aroused discontent among health unions. Minister Christian Dubé is accused of a lack of “serious negotiations” and of not “addressing the real fundamental problems”.
“The general lack of listening and discussion has repercussions on an entire working climate to the detriment of the needs of patients,” said Dr. Vincent Oliva, president of the Federation of Medical Specialists of Quebec (FMSQ) in a press release. ).
The federation denounces the lack of discussions and “serious negotiations” before the tabling of the bill and “the confrontational attitude of the MSSS”.
Quebec intends to force medical specialists to take more care of patients throughout the territory. They will also have to offer better availability in emergencies and accept unfavorable schedules.
“It is deeply unacceptable to suggest that medical specialists are no longer present in hospitals after 4 p.m. Throughout Quebec, medical specialists are mobilized to provide 24-hour call duty to take care of their patients. To suggest otherwise demonstrates a great misunderstanding of our work and our daily lives,” said Dr. Vincent Oliva.
The government will put an end to the regional boards of directors and will appoint general managers in all the large establishments who will report directly to the new crown corporation, Santé Québec.
“At first glance, we still seem to be shuffling structures and playing with organizational charts, without necessarily tackling the real fundamental problems,” said the secretary-treasurer of the Centrale des unions du Québec (CSQ) in a press release. , Luc Beauregard.
He added that he did not want to “go to war” with the government, in reference to Minister Christian Dubé’s statement. “However, we need to have assurances that staff and the public will be listened to,” he says.
“The obstacle to improving care is not the ‘union shackles’, but the shackles of poor working conditions, which leads to the exodus of staff to more advantageous countries,” added the president of the Quebec Health Federation FSQ-CSQ, Isabelle Dumaine.
For its part, the Patient Alliance for Health has expressed its support for making the health system more efficient, as the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, wishes. “This is a shift that will redefine the system for many years to come and that Quebec cannot afford to miss,” Alliance President Jérôme Di Giovanni said in a statement.
However, the Alliance wants patients to be involved in this new project. “We want the government to give patient and user groups a prominent place in the parliamentary committee hearings on the bill,” he said.
