The Minister of Health Christian Dubé, I recently picked up the pen to explain why Bill 15, currently under consideration, is necessary.
And he’s right. It is important to carry out this painful reform. Painful because no reform that had the expected impact could be carried out without conflict. Necessary because it is time for those held responsible for the failings that currently exist in our healthcare system to be given full power.
Because when emergency rooms are overcrowded, operations are delayed and operating theaters are closed, it is not a decision of the minister or the ministry, but of the local managers. However, we all blame the Minister and the Ministry for the inability to provide us with the most basic health services despite not having the operational powers and responsibilities.
This bill therefore resolves an inconsistency. Once passed, the government could be held solely responsible for the poor quality of services. He will have to feel accountable to the population who pay high prices for services and cannot benefit from them. With this bill, the government is putting itself in a position where it is no longer obliged to commit to means but rather to deliver results. And that’s good.
It’s a bit of the same principle as Bill 23 in education. Ensuring that school service directors report directly to the Minister will ensure that the dysfunctions of our education system are in the hands of the Minister and the Department.
The CAQ is currently conducting a major operation to centralize decisions. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Instead of having politicians issuing instructions that they never see implemented on the ground, they will now be able to issue instructions and orders to keep everything running smoothly. You then have both hands on the steering wheel and can no longer move away.
