(Quebec) Last-minute reinforcements prevent a major reduction in emergency services in Baie-Comeau. The scenario on the table called for reducing the number of stretchers to five, which would have been catastrophic, according to doctors in the region.
“Thanks to the efforts of staff and managers, it was possible to fill several nursing shifts in recent days, making it possible to provide adequate and safe services to the population,” wrote the CISSS de la Côte-Nord in a press release published Monday.
“People working in other establishments in the province have also agreed to come and lend a hand to the teams in place,” they added, without specifying the number. These are not employees of the flying team, which is experiencing a laborious deployment.
This last-minute assistance therefore allows the CISSS to maintain the emergency services at Le Royer Hospital in Baie-Comeau. The capacity will be the same as that in effect since the beginning of the summer, after an initial reduction in services, that is to say to 10 stretchers.
“I would like to highlight the work of the CISSS de la Côte-Nord staff, who are doing remarkable work, and a special thank you to the employees from other regions who will come and lend a hand. Not everything is resolved, but we must continue our work to put an end to the agencies and strengthen our public network,” rejoiced Minister Christian Dubé on the X network.
The Press reported Saturday that the facility was considering reducing the capacity of the emergency room in Baie-Comeau – a town of more than 20,000 people – to five stretchers, due to the workforce crisis. It was a catastrophic scenario at the time, in the eyes of the department head, Dr.D Stephanie Thibault. This controversial plan was to be in effect from August 15 to 19.
Some 10 doctors from the region have accused Quebec of “playing Russian roulette” with the population by taking the “hasty” decision to tighten the rules for the use of independent labour.
A reprieve
The Chairman of the Council of Physicians, Dentists and Pharmacists, Dr.r Youssef Ezahr remains worried about what’s next. “We have no room for maneuver […]that means there will be a lot of transfers [de patients] if we exceed 10 patients lying down [sur civière] “, he warned. “There are still weekends in late August and September to cover,” he added.
In a situation of overcapacity, the Baie-Comeau emergency room could accommodate 15 to 18 patients on stretchers, which is no longer possible since the announcement of a reorganization of services in May.
Baie-Comeau is more than 400 kilometres from Quebec City. Since the start of the crisis, at least fifty patients, including babies, have had to be sent outside to receive care.
At the latest count, 14 workers from the health flying team were dispatched to the North Shore territory, including three nurses and four nursing assistants. The region also already welcomed employees from other establishments who came to lend a hand, exceptionally.
The CISSS de la Côte-Nord was plunged into a storm last spring after certain provisions of the new law came into force to eliminate the use of independent labour, such as the capping of rates. It is therefore impossible to bill overtime.
This poses a problem in remote areas since agency employees, most of whom are from outside, work 60 or 70 hour weeks.