The president of the association of private companies of nursing staff of Quebec (EPPSQ), Hélène Gravel, wanted to “set the record straight” as to the importance of placement agencies in the health network , during his visit Thursday at the hearings of coroner Géhane Kamel on the deaths of elderly or vulnerable people who occurred in residential settings during the first wave of COVID-19.
Herself the owner of the Continuum agency, she blames the “opportunistic agencies” which emerged en masse during the pandemic for the bad press that her sector receives, accused of “helping the spread of the virus”, in addition to to be “profiteer” and “dangerous”.
To be part of the EPPSQ, you have to be under contract with the government, and therefore meet certain basic criteria assessed by it, she explained. In addition, a “longevity criterion” prevents all new firms from joining the association before having proven their worth.
At Continuum, there is “validation of training and license” for each employee, “orientation at our expense” and “all of our employees have completed the course” in infection protection and control, she added. .
“Opportunistic” agencies
The role of a private employment agency is to “do last-minute troubleshooting” when health centers are understaffed, said Ms. Gravel.
However, with the coronavirus crisis, “demands may have doubled” as healthcare centers grew increasingly desperate.
The new companies that took advantage of the pandemic did not have a contract with the government that would have forced them to follow certain guidelines, unlike members of the EPPSQ, said Ms. Gravel. They signed “contracts by mutual agreement” with the CHSLDs and demanded “an excessively high salary” for their staff, without guarantee of their competence.
“It makes no sense for the public to pay double the price,” said Ms. Gravel.
In a press release dated June 8, 2020, the EPPSQ even called on the Ministry of Health to conduct “a public inquiry into health placement agencies”. “We are, in spite of ourselves, associated with delinquent, improvised agencies whose only aim is mercantile […], who act with impunity, but with no obligation ”, we can read.
Exodus to the private sector
Coroner Kamel, however, said she was skeptical of the benefits of private agencies, which hire employees who could otherwise have joined the public network, struggling with a great lack of personnel.
“People are going to come to the agency because they are exhausted” and want to give more space to their personal lives and their families, replied Ms. Gravel. “The vast majority of them work part-time, often three days a week”, which a job in the public sector only very rarely allows, precisely because of the shortage.
Multiple recommendations
The fact that respiratory diseases that are spread by droplets also produce aerosols, “this is knowledge that was available long before COVID-19”, commented microbiologist and occupational health and safety specialist Geneviève Marchand, during his testimony.
She criticized the government’s lack of precaution during the first wave, and argued that ventilation and the wearing of respiratory protective equipment, like the N95, should have been prioritized from the start. A fine particle “can travel up to 200 meters” in the air, she explained.
The President and CEO of the Council for the Protection of the Sick, Paul Brunet, protested against the government’s lack of preparation, especially with regard to screening, recalling that the World Health Organization had declared a state of emergency health starting January 30, several weeks before Quebec.
He asked to “offer financial compensation to families and martyred residents”, in addition to “demand accountability” from leaders and “consider family caregivers as an essential service.” He also wants a provincial criminal offense “against those who mistreat the elderly” to be created, which could happen with the adoption of Bill 101 aimed at strengthening the fight against elder abuse.
The context of the investigation
The coroner’s inquest is looking into the deaths of elderly or vulnerable people who have occurred in residential settings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During this period, from February 25 to July 11, 2020, Quebecers aged 70 and over accounted for 92% of deaths from COVID-19, according to data from the Institut national de santé publique du Québec.
Its objective is not to identify a culprit, but to formulate recommendations to avoid future tragedies.
Six CHSLDs and a retirement home were designated as a sample. One death was examined for each establishment. Since Monday, the coroner has been looking into the provincial management of the crisis.