Two major attacks would have occurred in the space of three hours at the Institut de psychiatrie Philippe-Pinel in Montreal, causing “several injuries among employees” including two who would have been transported by ambulance to the hospital.
The local union of the public service of Quebec (SCFP) denounced the situation by press release Thursday evening without revealing the details of these attacks.
The Philippe-Pinel Institute of Psychiatry admitted some 350 patients within its walls last year. The establishment is responsible for “assessing and treating” individuals who “present a high risk of violent behavior”. The psychiatric bed occupancy rate for 2021-2022 stands at 94.6%, according to their annual report.
The local union is concerned about the summer holidays which risk leaving “teams with minimum safety thresholds”.
“As recently as this morning, the employer reproached us for not portraying the workplace positively during union meetings with new recruits. However, we are only describing the reality to them: the staff lacks training, experienced employees leave with the loss of expertise that this causes,” protests Marie-Ève Desormeaux, president of the local CUPE.
“On paper,” adds the union, “the Institute currently has 840 unionized employees, but if we deduct the many people on sick leave, without pay, parental [et autres]there are only 689 left.”
Complaints to the Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST), have also increased by 800% since 2022.
The Pinel Institute did not immediately respond to a request for clarification from the Duty.