“We are lucky if it takes three years,” launched Friday the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, during an interpellation at the Blue Room, about the recovery of the network.
The minister was taking part in an accountability exercise in the National Assembly, where the Liberal opposition demanded answers concerning oncological surgeries and the lack of personnel.
To denounce the “lamentable” state of the network upon his arrival, Mr. Dubé used the puzzle as a metaphor. “When we took over the government, the pieces were on the ground, we couldn’t even find them,” he said.
He pleaded that things were improving in the network, but “not everywhere at the same speed”.
To Liberal André Fortin, who lamented that in Estrie, 40% of patients have to wait more than two months for their oncological surgery, Mr. Dubé replied that some doctors are not doing enough.
He said he had “very intense” discussions with the president of the Federation of Medical Specialists of Quebec, Dr. Vincent Oliva.
“There are medical specialists who do more than others,” said Mr. Dubé. Not everyone makes the effort. […] I will continue to dig. […] You will see the numbers move. »
Mr. Fortin declared himself “dissatisfied” with the answers of the minister, who has no plan, according to him.
“It’s not normal that we receive calls from citizens who tell us: “I spent eight months before having my oncological surgery. I have been postponed seven times”, denounced the elected representative of Pontiac.
The PQ deplores the “confrontation” with the nurses
On Friday, the Parti Québécois (PQ) deplored the government’s “confrontational” approach with nurses.
In a press briefing at the National Assembly, the spokesperson for the PQ in health, Joël Arseneau, accused Prime Minister François Legault of sending nurses a “very negative” message.
The day before, Mr. Legault had asked the nurses to be more flexible in the negotiations for the renewal of their collective agreement.
He said he wanted to offer “exceptional” conditions to nurses who left to work in private employment agencies, in order to repatriate them to the network.
Mr. Legault maintained that the unions did not want to come and sit down at the negotiating table, a statement repeated by Mr. Dubé during the interpellation on Friday.
“They say that if there is a shortage of nurses, […] it’s a bit the fault of the nurses, lamented Mr. Arseneau. That it would be up to nurses to show greater flexibility. I think the message there is very negative.
“It is not likely to improve for the next few weeks with an approach […] of confrontation, at least, of wanting to place the burden of the problems on the backs of healthcare professionals,” he added.