Québec solidaire is asking the Legault government to drop its promise to build two private mini-hospitals which they believe will siphon off staff from the public health network. The training is also reaching out to Minister Christian Dubé who is working on a bill to regulate the use of employment agencies.
“I don’t know in which universe the health priority in Quebec is to build more private hospitals? We have already lost so many nurses in the private sector that there are not enough to fill the shifts in the hospitals that we already have, ”launched the parliamentary leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, after a meeting of the solidarity caucus. in anticipation of the resumption of work on January 31.
Health will be at the heart of the political formation’s priorities for the next session, as will the housing crisis and the rising cost of living.
Mr. Nadeau-Dubois did not fail to recall the words of the Conservative leader, Éric Duhaime, who said last week that he came out with “good news” from his meeting with Prime Minister François Legault. The latter told him that the construction of the two private mini-hospitals will be done “quickly”.
According to the left formation, the commitment of the CAQ is “a conservative solution” which will not stop at two mini-hospitals. The government currently wants to build one in Quebec City and the other in eastern Montreal. It is the deputy Youri Chassin – a former member of the Montreal Economic Institute (IEDM), a right-wing think tank – who is leading the file, at the request of François Legault.
“I think it’s clear to everyone that this is just the beginning. I don’t think anyone believes they’re going to stop after two, and that’s certainly not how Mr. Duhaime sees it,” Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois stung again.
According to Québec solidaire, the “main problem” of the health system currently is the lack of personnel, a situation which will worsen with the addition of these new hospitals. “We are not able to recruit and retain staff in the public sector, so tell me how it will help to create a new vacuum towards something more attractive in the private sector,” noted MP Vincent. Marshal.
The health spokesperson is also reaching out to the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, who is to table a bill this winter to tighten the screws on labor placement agencies. Québec solidaire promises to be collaborative and to advance the legislative text “quickly” if Mr. Dubé puts in place proposals to “break the vicious circle of agencies”.
Québec solidaire suggests, among other things, that agency workers first fill unfavorable shifts to improve the working conditions of network employees. The management framework of the Ministry of Health and Social Services already provides that institutions must do so, but according to Mr. Marissal the measure is far from being applied in the field.
“Mr. Dubé, he issues directives, he puts this in the hands of the network managers and tells them: “deal with that”. Surprise, surprise, it does not work because there is no political will,” lamented the MP for Rosemont. A law could obviously give teeth to such a measure.