Outaouais residents demand immediate government action to avert healthcare crisis
Tashi Farmilo
Faced with the imminent departure of three crucial radiology technicians, residents of the Outaouais region have launched a petition on change.org titled "Santé, l’Outaouais en a Assez, Québec doit Intervenir," demanding immediate intervention from the Québec government to address the escalating healthcare crisis. Spearheaded by Dr. Peter Bonneville, Président du CMDP du CISSS de l’Outaouais, the petition calls on Health Minister Christian Dubé to rectify funding and salary disparities that have left the region’s medical facilities severely understaffed and under-resourced.
The Hull Hospital, a key trauma and neurology centre for over 400,000 people, will lose the ability to provide round-the-clock imaging services due to the technician exodus. This situation places residents at considerable risk, particularly in emergencies such as trauma incidents and strokes. A 2020 coroner's report already linked the lack of timely scans to the death of a man when the hospital's imaging equipment was inoperative.
In a desperate attempt to mitigate the potential fallout, healthcare authorities have already started cutting services across the region. Radiology departments in St-André-Avellin have been shut down, and imaging hours in Papineau, Wakefield, and Maniwaki have been reduced. The Gatineau MRI unit has closed, and access to cancer screening and treatment services has diminished. Elective imaging services, including x-rays, ultrasounds, scans, and MRIs, have also been drastically cut back.
The root of the problem lies in the stark wage gap between Québec and Ontario. Radiology technicians in Ontario earn $30,000 more annually than their counterparts in Québec, driving many to cross the border for better pay. This salary disparity is not only causing the current crisis but has long been affecting various sectors within the Outaouais healthcare system.
Gatineau’s emergency room operates with less than 30% of necessary staff, leading to intermittent closures. The emergency room in Hull functions with just under half the required personnel. Surgical operations in both Gatineau and Hull are similarly constrained, with operating rooms running at 25% and 43% capacity, respectively. Waiting times for elective surgeries are the longest in the province, and peripheral hospitals face severe limitations in laboratory testing.
A recent report by the Observatoire de développement de l’Outaouais underscored the chronic underfunding of the region’s healthcare. Despite some progress, it concluded that an additional $180 million annually is needed for Outaouais to reach the average investment levels of other Québec regions. This financial shortfall translates to significant gaps in healthcare access and quality for Outaouais residents.
The petition, which has already garnered over 26,000 signatures, is backed by key medical professionals and associations, including the Conseil des médecins, dentistes et pharmaciens (CMDP) of the CISSS de l’Outaouais, various department heads, the regional directorate of general medicine (DRMG), and the association of general practitioners in western Québec (AMOOQ). Together, they implore Minister Dubé to implement differentiated compensation for healthcare workers in the region to stem the tide of departures and ensure equitable access to medical care.
Dr. Peter Bonneville, President of the CMDP, underlined the urgency of the situation. "We are on the brink of a healthcare disaster that will cost lives. Minister Dubé, we need your intervention now. The people of Outaouais deserve the same level of healthcare as the rest of Québec," he stated.
Photo caption: Residents of Outaouais are urging the Québec government to address critical healthcare staffing and funding shortages as the imminent departure of key radiology technicians threatens the region’s medical services.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Dr. Peter Bonneville’s petition on change.org
