The service quality and complaints commissioner at the CHU Sainte-Justine agrees with the homosexual father of a little girl who was repeatedly asked to present the child’s mother’s health insurance card to access to various services or medical appointments. A way of doing things that must change, she concludes.
Father with his spouse of a seven-month-old baby girl born following a surrogacy, Mathieu Chantelois was shocked to observe that, during at least seven visits to this hospital in recent months, the staff of different services demanded that he present the health insurance card of the child’s mother on his arrival.
“I told them that I was one of the two fathers and that there was no ‘mother’. I was told that it was the policy of the institution. Even a doctor said to me when entering his office: “Are you alone, or are we expecting the mother?” he says. According to the latter, the staff, in particular a medical specialist, then apologized for this a priori.
After explaining the parental situation of his child – examined for a minor health problem – the father and the infant were able to access the services and scheduled appointments. But the same scenario then repeated itself at the hospital pharmacy to get a prescription.
Include fathers
“I realized that, everywhere in the establishment, we observed the same policy in communications. After three or four visits, I decided to file a complaint,” explains Mr. Chantelois, who is delighted with the rapid response that was given.
In her opinion, it is high time for the pediatric hospital, which bears the name of “mother-child center”, to adapt to the various family models and the presence of fathers.
“I don’t want to take anything away from mothers, but all parents should be included in hospital communications policies. I spoke to other fathers, who have experienced the same thing as me,” invokes Mr. Chantelois, all the more surprised that all these communications were made in front of the child.
“I want things to change. I do this first for her, for when she grows up, to improve the reception of children who evolve in various types of families, ”he says.
Founded more than 100 years ago, the pediatric hospital effectively describes its primary mission as the health of mothers, children and adolescents. Inside the hospital, its motto “For the love of mothers and children” is displayed in full in several places. “We understand that this is the hospital’s mission, but it may be time for the institution to be more inclusive in its language,” he said.
In her response communicated on May 25, the commissioner for complaints and quality of services at the pediatric hospital, Josée Brady, entirely agrees with the father, recalling that the valid health insurance card of one of the two parents is sufficient to receive medical care, and that this rule prevails everywhere in Quebec “including at the CHU Sainte-Justine”.
“Following the analysis of your complaint, we conclude that it is founded. […] The administrative agents have been advised to ask for the health insurance card of one of the parents and not only that of the mother,” she said, in a letter signed in concert with Cristina Nitu, planning agent, programming and research at the CHU Sainte-Justine.
“Improvement measures have been undertaken by the managers of the clinics and the medical imaging department that you visited,” they add.
Asked about this decision, the Deputy President and CEO of the CHU Sainte-Justine, Isabelle Demers, told the To have to that, following this “incident”, measures were quickly taken to train the various workers at the pediatric center in the “diversity of family contexts”. She added that the hospital is committed to “initiating lasting change to provide patients and families with the most responsive and responsive environment, grounded in the fundamental principle of fairness.”
A response that fully satisfies and comforts the father at the origin of the complaint. “It’s an amazing hospital with amazing and professional staff, although there’s still a bit of work to be done on that,” the father thinks. I am convinced that they are people of good faith and that they will do everything they can to better adapt to the new parental realities. »