Prime Minister François Legault,
The recent developments in parliamentary work around Bill 96, involving the government you lead, prompt us to send you this letter of last resort in order to clarify your decision.
From the first consultations on the bill on French, our Coalition clearly demonstrated its support for the protection of our national language, the pillar of our society.
However, we cannot help but warn you that if Bill 96 is passed in its current version, it will undoubtedly have harmful consequences for health and well-being as well as the functioning of the system, which is already too fragile since it is deeply involved in the communication between client and provider of health and social services.
These concerns and the conviction that communication is an essential foundation for the delivery of effective and safe services are shared by 500 physicians and health and social services professionals as well as more than 30 groups and organizations involved in the network and with users. It is on this point in particular that we want you to be pragmatic and show your leadership.
Indeed, professionals and health and social service providers cannot be prevented from using the means they deem appropriate to communicate with the patient. There can be no limits or constraints on the possibility of communicating with a person in need and/or in a vulnerable situation. It is hard enough to understand information under stressful conditions, adding unnecessary barriers will only increase this risk and impair the ability of providers to provide optimal care. This bill could put people’s lives at risk or have negative impacts on mental health if implemented.
Bill 96 ensures that state officials — distant and unfamiliar with the complexities and operation of the network; unaware of the needs of clients and without the slightest accountability for the health and well-being of Quebecers — make decisions that will violate the fundamental right of effective communication between citizens and health care providers.
And this is without taking into account the breaches of confidentiality, by the seizure of confidential files without a search warrant, nor the recruitment and retention constraints — among others with the beneficiary attendants whom we currently need so much — while we are in a context of complete shortage.
All our steps with your office, those of the Minister of Health and Social Services and the Minister of Justice and responsible for the French language have not been conclusive. Thus, we have little choice but to sound the alarm so that you can take the ultimate actions to avoid preventing people whose mother tongue is other than French, including: Quebec natives , refugees, immigrants, foreign workers and/or students and English-speaking people from Quebec, to receive care in the network.
Prime Minister, this bill presents essential elements for the protection of our language, but the health network must be excluded from its scope. The system is far too fragile to run this risk, bringing its share of dangers. The lessons learned from the carnage of the CHSLDs recommend that we all adopt extreme caution, because the life and survival of our loved ones are at stake. The governance of our health network has already caused us to lose too many victims to add a layer of measurement.
Receive, Mr. Prime Minister, the assurance of our respectful consideration.
The Coalition for Quality Health and Social Services (CSSSQ)
*500 physicians and health and social services professionals as well as more than 30 groups and organizations involved in the network and with users have formed the Coalition for Quality Health and Social Services.
Reference-www.tvanouvelles.ca