The announcement of the expansion of the Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital makes many people happy. But it worries some. The Laurentides Health Coalition fears that because of this major project, the Quebec government will further delay the renovation and modernization of the Saint-Jérôme and Saint-Eustache hospitals.
During the press conference concerning the Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital on Monday, the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, stressed that the population of other regions, notably the Laurentians, could benefit from the newly renovated hospital center in the east of Montreal.
The Laurentides Health Coalition says it is “very concerned” by the minister’s comments. “When we see this announcement, when we say that it will be useful for the Laurentians, is this not a way out to further delay the necessary investments in the Laurentians? » asks Marc L’Heureux, president of the group, made up in particular of elected officials, doctors and users.
“Do they want to change the way things are done, possibly reduce investments in the Laurentians? he continues. It’s a bit worrying. »
Corridor Medicine
The Laurentides Health Coalition has been calling for “equitable funding” for its region in terms of health care for three years. She insists that the Laurentian population has doubled over the past 30 years and that the hospitals have not been adapted accordingly. Caregivers denounce the corridor medicine that is practiced there. The emergency rooms of Saint-Jérôme and Saint-Eustache are regularly overflowing.
“We know that Maisonneuve-Rosemont has needs, but I think that the Laurentians have been a bit of a poor child in recent years, despite the very pressing needs of the population,” says Karine Plouffe, emergency doctor and co-head of the emergency of Saint-Eustache.
His hospital’s emergency room is welcoming more patients than before the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our permit from the ministry is for 32 stretchers,” she says. In the last few weeks, there have been around 60 patients on stretchers every day. »
Last July, Quebec accepted the “opportunity file” for the Saint-Eustache Hospital modernization project. A new emergency will be set up during the first phase. “We are talking that this will perhaps happen in 2029,” says the DD Plouffe. It seems really very far away to me unfortunately. »
The Laurentides Health Coalition denounces the fact that “unlike the Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital, phases 1 of the Saint-Jérôme and Saint-Eustache projects had to be significantly reduced due to the increase in project implementation costs and their postponement for two years”.
“We were asked to reduce the scope of the work to remain within the budget envelope planned for 2018-2019,” specifies Marc L’Heureux, prefect of the MRC des Laurentides. And we have no indication, at this time, that funds will be allocated to phase 2.”
Questioned on this subject, the office of the Minister of Health indicates that Christian Dubé is “very sensitive to the particular situation of the Laurentides region”. “He regularly has discussions with his fellow deputies from the region, in addition to having met a few times with the Laurentides Health Coalition,” we indicate. We know it will take a 2e phase as part of two hospital projects in the region. These are priority files and we are continuing discussions to move them forward. »
As for patients from the Laurentians who could attend the new Maisonneuve-Rosemont facilities, the office recalls that the Montreal hospital offers “a large number of specialties” which are “not found elsewhere”. “More than 25% of the clientele of [l’hôpital de Maisonneuve-Rosemont] comes from outside Montreal, while this rate increases to 40% in ophthalmology, for example,” we add.