The exhaustion and distress of the Outaouais healthcare professionals at the heart of the meeting with Minister Lacombe
The FIQ – Syndicat des professionnelles en soins de l’Outaouais (FIQ – SPSO) met with Mathieu Lacombe, Minister for the Outaouais region, and Josée Filion, President—Executive Director of the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) de l’Outaouais, to let them know about the urgent need for action in light of the healthcare professionals’ exhaustion and distress. The minister contacted the FIQ – SPSO after the union suggested to the population that they go to Ontario for care.
During the one-hour meeting, the representatives questioned the minister and PED, on the attraction of personnel, the region’s special status, implementing incentive measures and mandatory overtime.
Because of the harsh working conditions, we are seeing a real exodus of healthcare professionals who are not replaced unfortunately. The situation is compounded by the CISSS administration not using the region’s special status funds to implement staff attraction and retention measures, or a second ratios project in the Emergency Department at the Hôpital de Gatineau. The CISSS instead used the funds to cover its deficit. We let them know that all the Outaouais regions were ignored including the Collines, Pontiac, Papineau and Maniwaki and because of this, the population living in these regions are neglected. We also reminded the minister of the CISSS’s decision to cancel the payment of overtime at 200%, when it was the Minister of Health, herself, who announced this enhancement of the salary conditions in a context where the government was not able to keep its promise and eliminate MOT. We want action and it’s urgent!” stated Patrick Guay, Interim President of the FIQ – SPSO.
The FIQ – SPSO representatives left this meeting extremely disappointed, as despite the minister and PED expressing good intentions and committing to transparency, no short-term concrete action was proposed.
Our members and the population are once again being forgotten. This reaction of the minister is even more disappointing since the latter stated that cancelling overtime at 200% came in a directive from the Treasury Board! Now, the government’s credibility is on the line, as the healthcare professionals are facing indifference, which is unacceptable!” stated Patrick Guay.
About the FIQ – SPSO
The FIQ – Syndicat des professionnelles en soins de l’Outaouais has more than 2,800 healthcare professionals, the vast majority of nurses, licensed practical nurses and respiratory therapists working in the region’s health and social services institutions. It is affiliated with the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec–FIQ.
Photo: Radio-Canada