Legault and Dubé come under fire after a man dies at the end of a 130-kilometer ambulance trip

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The Quebec government said Thursday that “there are no grounds at this time for a forensic investigation” after a 65-year-old Senneterre man died following a 130-kilometer ambulance trip that was necessitated by the nightly lockdown ordered by the governance of your local emergency room.

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However, the Liberal opposition said Prime Minister François Legault bears part of the responsibility for the situation, and the Liberals, Parti Québécois and Québec Solidaire are calling for a forensic investigation to examine the incident.

Richard Genest had been suffering from stomachaches and was required to be transported 80 miles on Monday because the emergency room at his local clinic had been closed between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m. since October 18.

Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé told reporters that the medical examiner had said that “there is no relationship between death and these two services (ambulance and emergency room).”

But during the question period, Quebec liberal leader Dominique Anglade said: “If there is one person who has a responsibility, it is the prime minister.”

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That accusation quickly got Legault to his feet. “I would invite her to calm down,” he said. “I would invite her to be worthy of her role.”

Meanwhile, the Parti Québécois held Dubé responsible for the contingency plan that saw Genest die at the end of his ambulance transport.

“Who decided to close this emergency room? It was the government, Mr. Dubé and Mr. Legault, ”Anglade later told reporters as the opposition raged over what he described as“ bush medicine ”.

PQ MNA Joël Arseneau said that opposition parties had proposed alternatives to the closure of the Senneterre emergency room, but that Dubé had already endorsed a contingency plan, adding that the minister is responsible for providing front-line medical care.

The closure was temporary but necessary, the government said, due to the lack of nursing staff in the region.

Anglade pointed out that at the beginning of the ER closing, the mayor of Senneterre was only able to talk about the issue with Dubé for a few minutes.