Constructive meetings
Just after the election campaign began, the FIQ issued invitations, as you know, to the leaders of the major political parties to give them the opportunity to hear the concerns of Quebec healthcare professionals and their solutions for improving their work environment and public access to healthcare.
I have always believed that anyone who aspires to lead Quebec should take at least a slight interest in what 60,000 professionals occupying a key position in the healthcare network have to say, since improving this network ranks as Quebecers’ top priority. In addition, the vast majority of these 60,000 healthcare professionals are women, mothers and citizens concerned about all the other aspects at the centre of their everyday lives.
In this perspective, accompanied by Roberto Bomba, a member of the FIQ Executive Committee, I had thirty-minute meetings with Pauline Marois of the Parti Québécois last Tuesday, August 21, and Dr. Amir Khadir of Québec Solidaire last Friday, August 24.
In this regard, I must salute the open-mindedness and respect shown to us by our first two visitors. Both expressed great interest in the idea of allowing healthcare professionals to play a greater role in the delivery of healthcare and services, while further enhancing their competencies and the tasks they can perform under Law 90.
The two leaders also said they are open to reviewing the often authoritarian management styles currently advocated in the network, so that the opinion of healthcare professionals, who know their work environment better than anyone, is given more consideration in participatory and inclusive management.
They also said they are in favour of implementing measures to put an end, once and for all, to reliance on independent labour, which costs the taxpayers a fortune without improving the services to which they are entitled. Finally, we benefited from their attention and interest concerning solutions such as centralized management of waiting lists, establishment of a network of front-line professional healthcare clinics, and the proliferation of residential care facilities geared to the needs of seniors who are losing their autonomy.
While I am happy with the outcome of these positive and constructive meetings, I am still waiting for a callback from the leaders of the other political parties who are busy contending for popular support. Can they really ignore the voice of more than 60,000 professional while citing them constantly? To reassure some individuals, nobody will leave these meetings with their hands tied… We look forward to meeting you!