(Lac-Beauport) Minister Christian Dubé “takes the world for granted” by leading them to believe that the agency Santé Québec – a new entity that will take care of the ministry’s operations – will come to the problems of the health network to solve, denounces MP André Fortin. According to him, Mr Dubé is trying to “unload” his ministerial responsibilities.
Posted 9:31am Updated 9:53am
The Liberal MP and health critic André Fortin gave full throttle against Minister Christian Dubé’s proposal. “I can’t believe the healthcare solution right now is to put another box in the Department of Health’s organizational chart,” the MP for Pontiac said on the sidelines of his party’s pre-session caucus.
André Fortin also accuses Minister Dubé of “exploiting” the death of Andrée Simard, widow of former Prime Minister Robert Bourassa, to further his goals. “To say that if there had been a CEO of the Quebec Health Authority, we would have avoided a situation like this is incredibly cynical. It takes the world for suitcases,” he cursed.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Andre Fortin
In an interview with Le Devoir, Christian Dubé supported the creation of this new entity that will prevent tragedies like that of Ms Simard, who was deprived of palliative care in the three days before her death, by making the “network more efficient and better human.
The Minister of Health is due to present a bill creating the Quebec Health Authority this winter. It’s an electoral commitment that envisages splitting the imposing Department of Health and Human Services in two. Santé Québec would oversee the entire operational component of the MSSS. The major bosses of CISSS and CIUSSS would report to this entity, while a CEO would be appointed.
A “official solution”
“This solution relieves the minister of his responsibility. It’s not something that will depoliticize the health network, it’s something that will relieve the minister of his responsibilities,” Mr Fortin continued. “He puts a supervisor on the CEOs of the CISSSs and the CIUSSSs and puts on a shield,” he added, speaking of an “official solution”.
Minister Dubé asserted earlier this year that he was not in a position to “put out fires” but to take measures that would have “structuring effects” on the network. For the following week, he had no choice but to meddle in the emergency room at the Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont. “It’s part of his job,” André Fortin reminds him.
The interim leader of the Liberal Party of Quebec, Marc Tanguay, was hardly more impressed with Minister Dubé’s solution: “I think it’s a structure that once again prevents the minister from making decisions on the spot,” he argued when he joined the group.
“I think of the person, Baby Jesus, in the emergency room who’s been on a stretcher for several hours and has to say, ‘This is great, what great news, there’s going to be structure on top,'” Mr. Tanguay quipped, recalling remembering that the Minister must be “accountable” for what happens on the network.
At Le Devoir, Christian Dubé assured that he will remain accountable but that he is “structured differently”.