A coalition of social organizations is launching a campaign to block Bill 15 creating the Health Quebec agency because the population has not been “consulted enough” and the reform would open the door to more private health care.
“All this is happening much too quickly without being consulted,” denounced Laurence Guénette, spokesperson for the League of Rights and Freedoms during a press briefing Thursday morning.
The “Reply to the Health Plan” Coalition notably brings together the Health Solidarity Coalition and the Soignons la justice sociale collective.
She criticizes Bill 15 for being “hospital-centric” and for distancing citizens from decision-making by replacing local user committees with a national committee.
The spokesperson for the Coalition Solidarité Santé, Nathalie Déziel, sees it as an “attack on local democracy” and fears for “the representativeness of vulnerable groups” in the new school boards provided for in the bill.
Arnold Aberman, doctor member of the collective Care for social justice, deplores for his part that he allows private medical clinics that offer public services to charge ancillary fees in certain circumstances.
Bill 15 tabled by Health Minister Christian Dubé at the end of March aims to review the structure of the network in order to make it more efficient.
On an unprecedented scale in health, the bill has more than a thousand articles and 300 pages. It remains unclear whether MPs will have time to study it before the end of the parliamentary session on June 9.
Where appropriate, different civil society groups will be invited to comment on the reform in parliamentary committee.
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