While some health network workers in Estrie fear the worst for the next summer season, the CIUSSS unveiled its plan on Tuesday to allow its staff to take vacations. Some services will be suspended or modified during this period.
The modulation of services has increased compared to 2022. The CIUSSS warns that this trend is unlikely to abate in the coming year.
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There is currently a shortage of 1,500 employees in Estri. In order to reconcile labor shortages and summer holidays, the CIUSSS has no choice but to close 70 additional beds compared to last year, for a total of 175. This corresponds to almost 15% of the beds in the entire Estrie area.
“We are maintaining hospital capacity at all of our hospitals,” says Annie Boisvert, associate general manager for general and specialty physical health programs.
Activities in the operating room are also slowed down. In Magog, for example, half of the rooms will be closed between July and August. More than 11,500 people are now waiting for an operation. Some vaccination, screening and collection points will also remain closed until August.
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For the Eastern Townships Health Workers Union, these adjustments and closures were necessary due to staff shortages. “Our concern is that, unfortunately, there will still be mandatory overtime hours (TSO), forced travel or even outnumbered work, such as in CHSLDs,” comments Stéphanie Goulet, interim president of FIQ Estrie.
On the part of the CHU user committee, President Claude Lemoine particularly fears the impact of these service adjustments on the waiting lists. “It seems the longer it goes on, the worse it gets. The end user is the one paying the bill. […] If there is no significant pent-up demand when activities resume and the minister is not offended, it will not be funny. That is not the case now and will be even less so,” he believes.
The CUSSS ensures that all emergency services are maintained. The same applies to psychiatric care. All patients affected by these service adjustments will be informed by their contact person. The CIUSSS invites the population, when the situation allows, to use other available health resources such as the 811 hotline, the First Line Access Point (GAP), or a pharmacist.
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