May 6, 2019

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Danielle McCann, who was passing through Bas Saint-Laurent on Monday to announce the opening of a Faculty of Medicine in Rimouski, stopped at the Hôpital Notre-Dame-de-Fatima de La Pocatière and visited the institution with Cindie Soucy, President of the SPSICR-BSL, which represents the nurses, licensed practical nurses and respiratory therapists in the institution. The purpose of this visit was to learn more about the reality in the hospital and the healthcare professionals working there.

Ms. McCann talked with Ms. Soucy about the hospital’s different realities and difficulties that the healthcare professionals at the hospital have. Among the discussions with the Minister were, the issue of attracting and retaining a labour force, maintaining obstetrical services when there is a lack of skilled labour, the respiratory therapists’ difficulties and maintaining specialized medical services.

The union wants to acknowledge Ms. McCann’s visit and the time she gave to the institution’s healthcare professionals, because for the latter, maintaining proximity, quality services for the population remains a priority. The healthcare professionals at the Hôpital Notre-Dame-de-Fatima have lived with the problems inherent with a labour shortage, recruitment issues and an excessive workload for far too long. Our members want to give safe, quality care to the patients. We want to thank Ms. McCann for her visit. We were able to tell her about the current local issues and our needs in the region. As a union promoting proposal-oriented unionism, we feel we are part of the solution and concrete actions for achieving it”, stated Cindie Soucy, president of the union.