(Quebec) Faced with the many questions raised by the death of a man from Senneterre on Tuesday night, the Coroner’s Office launched an inquest to shed light on the circumstances that led to the death of Richard Genest. The affair provokes indignation in Quebec. Prime Minister François Legault insists that the closure of emergencies “has nothing to do” with the death of the man.
“Taking into account all the questions raised by the general population, it appeared important for the Bureau du coroner to shed light on the circumstances which led to the death of Mr. Genest”, confirmed the Bureau du coroner at Press, Thursday. The opposition parties called on Thursday in unison for the initiation of a coroner’s inquest to shed light on this tragedy.
Richard Genest died on the night of November 30. The man from Senneterre, who lives about ten minutes on foot from the Senneterre emergency, waited for help for more than two hours before being “properly taken care of”. The emergencies at the Senneterre Health Center have been closed 16 hours a day since mid-October due to staff shortages.
“First, I want to offer my condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr. Genest. Now we spoke with the CEO of CISSS [de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Caroline Roy] and according to her, the closing of the emergency has nothing to do with the death ”, assured the Prime Minister before his arrival at the Blue Room.
The matter rebounded quickly during the question period. Just before, Minister Dubé said for his part that “the coroner’s first analysis is that there is no link between the death of Richard Genest, who is very unhappy”, the closure of the emergency room in Senneterre and the region’s ambulance service.
On Wednesday, the CISSS de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue (CISSSAT) said in a press release that “the coroner’s office has been contacted and has decided not to take charge of the case since there is nothing to justify an investigation”. The establishment also ensures that “all the protocols in force have been respected” during the care of Mr. Genest.
“In light of the facts presented to him [au coroner], he decided that there was no question of investigation. […] I ask everyone, especially his family, that if there are other facts that needed to be analyzed, let it be done. For the moment, there is no matter for investigation, ”for his part reacted Minister Dubé in the press scrum on Thursday.
According to the Coroner’s Office, these are preliminary observations. Now, faced with the questions raised by the population, the coroner will conduct an investigation, it was indicated.
“At the end of his investigation, the coroner will write a detailed report in which he will set out the identity of the deceased person, the date and place of his death, as well as the causes and circumstances which led to the death. It also has the power, at the end of its investigation and if it deems it necessary, to formulate recommendations in order to prevent similar deaths from recurring in the future, ”writes the Coroner’s Office.
The opposition parties have in turn denounced the inaction of the Legault government in the health services issue of Senneterre in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. They accuse the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, of having given the green light to a contingency plan that did not hold water, in particular because of the ambulance personnel on the ground. They believe it is a “preventable” death.
Richard Genest, 65, died in the elevator at Amos hospital overnight Tuesday. The man from Senneterre waited for help for more than two hours before being taken “properly”. He dialed 911 around 2:40 a.m. and was finally admitted to the Val-d’Or hospital, more than 70 kilometers from Senneterre, around 5 a.m. The man then had to be transferred to Amos, about 70 kilometers from Val-d’Or to undergo emergency surgery. He could not be saved in time.
Mr. Genest lived about a “10-15 minute walk” from the Senneterre health center. Emergencies have been closed 16 hours a day since mid-October due to staff shortages.
“I find it absolutely absurd that the decision to close the emergency has been taken. I am calling today for it to be open and that we find resources, and there are some in the employment agencies if we are not able to find them among the health staff of the same. ‘Abitibi-Témiscamingue, to be able to offer the emergency,’ argued the parliamentary leader of the Parti Québécois, Joël Arseneau.
“There have been proposals that have been made multiple times, and once again, no response from the government,” said Liberal leader Dominique Anglade. She says she spoke Thursday with the mayoress of Senneterre. “They feel completely abandoned, completely abandoned. They say it themselves: it’s as if we didn’t count, in Quebec, we are completely on our own. We would never have thought that we would be let down like that by our system ”.
The oppositions are not satisfied with the answers provided so far by the CISSSAT and ask for the holding of a coroner’s inquest to redo the course of events.
“The journey that the patient had to take is like leaving Montreal, going to Joliette to be told that the specialist we need is in Saint-Jérôme”, illustrated the member for Rouyn-Noranda – Témiscamingue , Émilise Lessard-Therrien.
“It is extremely important for me that the coroner takes up the file. Senneterre is a symptom of a deeper disease. Our system is hemorrhaging in Abitibi-Témiscamingue and the minister does not even have plaster, and I don’t even know if he’s looking for the box, ”she lamented.
A request supported by the Parti Quebecois and the Liberal Party of Quebec.
The former mayor of Senneterre, Jean-Maurice Matte, came to the National Assembly this fall, along with the Liberal Party of Quebec, to denounce the lack of listening of the leadership of the CISSSAT in the file. Mr. Matte said he had proposed possible solutions to keep emergencies open, but that these had not been retained by the establishment.
Minister Dubé subsequently went to Senneterre.
The new mayoress of Senneterre, Nathalie-Ann Pelchat, implored Minister Dubé on Wednesday to get personally involved in the file and to order the reopening of the Senneterre emergency room. “This is the CISSSAT contingency plan, so we want Minister Dubé to take care of this specific issue. He has already been questioned, and he always says that he has confidence in the CISSSAT. We want answers, ”she explained in an interview to Press.
With Tommy Chouinard