(Quebec) The death of a man on Tuesday during the closing hours of the Senneterre emergency room sows indignation in Quebec. The opposition parties accuse the Legault government of having “abandoned” the citizens of Senneterre and demand a coroner’s inquest. Prime Minister François Legault insists that the closure of the emergency “has nothing to do” with the death of the man.
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.
“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.
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.
“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, ”added Minister Dubé in the press scrum.
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.
“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 ”.
Request for a coroner’s inquest
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.
“The mayor of Senneterre has come here. He traveled 800 kilometers to meet with the minister and the prime minister. He was entitled to eight minutes of exchanges. For what result? None, no results. Ultimately, the emergency is still closed and, in the end, Mr. Genest died, ”said Dominique Anglade.
Minister Dubé subsequently went to Senneterre.
“He went to meet the people in Senneterre, then he hasn’t given us anything, nothing, nothing offered since his visit. Me, I followed up with his firm to know: well, what is the game plan? What are the elements that you remember? We have made proposals to you. Then, even today, they are empty-handed, they have nothing to offer me. I don’t understand ”, railed Mme Lessard-Therrien.
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