In order to reduce surgical waiting lists, Quebec will allow private clinics to perform new types of surgeries covered by the public plan, at no cost to the patient.
Specialized medical centers (CMS) that have agreements with public establishments will be able to perform orthopedic, ear, nose and throat, gynecological, urological or digestive system surgeries.
Health Minister Christian Dubé will present a draft regulation to this effect. In total, some twenty specialized services could be added to those already offered under the Regulation respecting specialized medical treatments provided in a CMS. No new treatment had been added to the regulation since 2010.
Some types of surgeries such as cataracts, knees and hips were already offered by the public system in private clinics. Since the pandemic, more than 260,000 Quebecers have had recourse to them.
These medical centers have made it possible to temporarily reduce certain surgical waiting lists linked to the delay accumulated during the pandemic.
Lack of staff
With this draft regulation, the Ministry of Health wishes to focus on operations which absolutely must be carried out in hospital environments.
“The faster Quebecers are operated on, the more we will be able to reduce waiting lists. What is important is that it is free for Quebecers,” declared Health Minister Christian Dubé in a press scrum on Wednesday.
Asked why hospitals are not opening more operating rooms, Minister Dubé said that “there is no staff at the moment, but the private sector has it.” “When we have the staff back in our network, we can go back to the old way.”
This draft regulation is accompanied by a 45-day consultation period during which the various groups can submit their comments.
List of new medical treatments that can be carried out by private clinics covered by the State
- Orthopedic surgery: discoidectomy, laminectomy, shoulder, elbow or wrist arthroplasty-prosthesis;
- Otorhinolaryngology and head and neck surgery: septoplasty and septorhinoplasty, sialendoscopy, turbinate reduction, myringotomy;
- Gynecological surgery: marsupialization, diathermic loop treatment at the level of the cervix, anterior or posterior colporrhaphy, salpingectomy;
- Digestive system surgery: endocholecystectomy;
- Urological surgery: transurethral resection of the prostate, transurethral resection of bladder tumor, hydrocele cure, orchidopexy, ureteroscopy, lithotomy, lithotripsy, nephrolithotomy.