When she allowed the use of telemedicine at the start of the pandemic, the Minister of Health at the time, Danielle McCann, wanted above all to allow front-line doctors to limit their contact with the population.
“In my mind, it was not for CHSLDs,” said Mme McCann Thursday morning at the coroner’s public inquest which examines the deaths that occurred during the first wave of the pandemic in CHSLDs in Quebec.
Today Minister of Higher Education, Mr.me McCann said that in March 2020 she had a conversation with the president of the Federation of General Practitioners of Quebec, Dr.r Louis Godin, to mention to him “that it was essential that the doctors go to CHSLDs”.
“We needed the presence of a doctor in a CHSLD to know whether or not we were transferring people to the hospital,” explained Mme McCann. She recalled that according to data from the Ministry of Health, only 6.3% of acts billed in CHSLDs during the first wave were carried out in telemedicine.
Coroner Géhane Kamel mentioned that since the start of his investigation, “we have fallen into 6.3%”. With the exception of the CHSLD Laflèche in Shawinigan, where the medical teams remained in place, the other establishments in which the coroner was interested, including the CHSLD Herron, instead saw their doctors leave the premises in March 2020 and turn to telemedicine.
CEOs needed to be better prepared
As the national director of public health, Dr Horacio Arruda, had mentioned during his testimony on Monday, Minister McCann indicated that Quebec was aware from January that people aged 70 and over, and especially those in CHSLDs, would be more vulnerable to the virus.
“I have the impression that the preparation in CHSLDs was not there,” said coroner Géhane Kamel, before asking: “Who did the preparation belong to?” ”
“To the CEOs,” replied Mme McCann.
On Wednesday, the Deputy Minister of Health at the time, Yvan Gendron, also explained that the responsibility for preparing CHSLDs for the pandemic rested with the CEOs of CISSS and CIUSSS, and that the watchword to prepare had been sent to them in January.
“We know that our elderly (70 years and over) and those in CHSLDs are more at risk. We know that we must take measures to protect them. This is what has been said since January. Prepare plans everywhere. […] When we say preparing plans, it is also taking action. The CEOs were to put the plan in motion in January, ”said Minister McCann.
For the minister, the CEOs should therefore provide “all the components that are included in the plan”. “Having equipment in CHSLDs. Also have staff, ”she said.
M’s testimonyme McCann continues Thursday morning. She will be followed by Assistant Deputy Minister Daniel Desharnais.