A mother from Donnacona, near Quebec, experienced a veritable crossroads for a simple piece of paper. If someone had told her that it was so difficult to get a medical certificate, she would certainly not have believed it herself. It all starts on Tuesday morning when her 10-year-old daughter is battling a severe gastrointestinal illness.
“It’s not necessarily the biggest gastro I’ve seen in my life,” complains the mother.
And all parents will tell you Gastros, they’ve seen them! In fact, the virus causes so much damage that the young girl can hardly sit up. Mrs Richard therefore calls the school to justify her child’s absence. And here the problems begin.
Audrey Richard, mother of two, cake design entrepreneur and former teacher opens up about her mishap on Benoit Dutrizac’s show on QUB radio:
The little one has a ministerial exam that day and you know you can’t miss this type of exam…unless you have a doctor’s note. It’s an immutable rule. So Ms. Richard goes in search of the valuable paper.
Like so many families in Quebec, her daughter does not have a family doctor. So his first instinct is to call his medical clinic.
The answer is clear: there can be no question of a doctor’s certificate without having seen the patient… who is too weak to move. Plan B
So the mother calls her own doctor. It is not possible to speak to him, but we recommend sending him an email.
She may have an answer in a few days. Perhaps. A few days… basically that’s obviously not enough.
Maybe call the frontline access desk? This is the resource for accessing a family doctor. The man she is talking to is very understanding. He recognizes the problem immediately and commits to finding a solution. And you can find this famous solution… at 811!
Ms. Richard’s call is being transferred. Here, too, the supervisor takes her case seriously. He is told that his daughter will be registered as an orphan patient and that she will be given an appointment…within two weeks!
“I couldn’t see the end,” exhales the mother.
And all for a medical certificate justifying the absence of his 10-year-old daughter at the spiritual exam!!!
Since it takes too long to get an appointment, and the gastro will then of course be over, there is only one solution: a private clinic that offers telephone consultations.
Believe it or not, in less than 10 minutes, Ms. Richard’s wife called the clinic, paid $210 To, spoke to a doctor to explain the symptoms… and received the medical certificate via E -Mail. .
Our health care system is financed by our taxes. Are we really getting our money’s worth? For Audrey Richard, it’s a $210 question.