The Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, pledged on Wednesday to “adopt a better vision for the future” in health, saying in passing that he was “already at work” to implement the recommendations of the Commissioner for health and well-being (CSBE).
To the report which notes in particular a “perception of a lack of independence of the national director of public health”, the minister replies that he intends to “develop a culture of transparency in terms of policies and decisions relating to the health of populations”. .
Its statement does not specify whether the government intends to allow the national director of public health to communicate his opinions and recommendations directly to the population, as suggested by the CSBE.
Mr. Dubé also says that he has taken a series of actions along the same lines as the Commissioner’s recommendations: “an infection prevention and control plan has been implemented, staff and managers have been added to the CHSLDs, staff movement has been restricted and a better supply of personal protective equipment has been implemented,” his cabinet listed.
” […] Measures were taken on the ground as early as 2020, the results of which were immediately seen during the second wave. […] This report invites us to adopt a new vision for the future, which we are committed to doing, together with our partners,” the press release also read. The Minister for Health and Social Services, Lionel Carmant, described the solutions proposed by the CSBE as “interesting”.
Oppositions still call for a public inquiry
Despite the reluctance of the CSBE, the opposition parties continued to demand on Wednesday a public inquiry into the management of the pandemic.
“This report confirms [que le premier ministre François Legault] did not know how to prepare [les CHSLD] adequately in the face of the threat,” reacted the leader of the official opposition, Dominique Anglade. She recalled that her party – like the other two opposition groups – has been demanding access to public health recommendations for months. “It is increasingly clear that an independent public inquiry is needed,” she continued.
Vincent Marissal, of Quebec solidaire, said he was sorry that the report did not allow “shed light on what really went wrong in the management of the pandemic”. He also renewed his request for the holding of a public inquiry commission.
“The question remains: could we have saved lives if the CHSLDs had been equipped with a crisis management plan and lookouts to ensure the quality of care? he asked. He pointed out that the CSBE survey shows that “seniors have been largely neglected by our successive governments for 20 years and [que] the solutions put forward to turn the tide have been ignored”. Mr. Marissal then pleaded for a massive reinvestment in the public network, the creation of a “real crisis plan” and the “complete nationalization of care for the elderly”.
At the Parti Québécois, Joël Arseneau also repeated that a public and independent inquiry into the management of the pandemic was necessary, according to his party. “The report does not answer this overarching question: how do you explain such a poor record in operations and information management? “, he reacted. “The leadership gaps identified in the report clearly point to ministerial responsibility. In addition, our demands for two years for more independence of Public Health and the publication of opinions find an echo. We can do it right now! “, he added.
He also recalled that Commissioner Castonguay refers to the coroner to identify those responsible for the slaughter in the CHSLDs, but that the latter said she was unable, on Tuesday, to establish a chronology of the facts given the contradictions of the actors who appeared before her.
Non-contracted private individuals more at risk
The Association of Private Long-Term Institutions of Quebec (AELDPQ) pointed out that the CSBE has identified non-contracted private status (PNC) among the risk factors contributing to a first death in CHSLDs, especially in Greater Montreal. .
“The vast majority of private CHSLDs not under agreement have service agreements with the government and meet the growing demand for long-term care. However, the funding granted to the PNC CHSLDs is well below the public and private network under agreement,” said the AELDPQ.
The Association recalled that the principle of the lowest bidder is always advocated in the network. “However, it has been shown that the quest for the lowest price is not a guarantee of quality and does not make it possible to achieve adequate staff ratios for the well-being of residents,” she argued. “We are hopeful that the agreement will provide us with the necessary means to provide care that meets our ambitions, but we would like to know the terms and conditions in order to reassure our employees, our families and our residents”, reacted its president Paul Arbec. .