The Legault government will table a plan to overhaul the health system that will give greater importance to the private sector, at no additional cost to citizens. An important societal debate awaits Quebec in view of the elections next fall.
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“This is one of the lessons learned from the pandemic,” said the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, in an interview with our Parliamentary Office.
Some 100,000 surgeries have been performed by private clinics over the past two years to relieve the public network struggling with COVID-19. “No one complained about being treated, as long as they could show their sun card,” continues Mr. Dubé.
Other types of operations
Quebec already allows clinics like RocklandMD or Chirurgie DIX30 to perform hip, knee and cataract surgeries.
During the pandemic, these exploded and the Legault government is now considering opening the door to other types of operations.
The idea is to improve the service offer in order to reduce waiting lists and prevent new setbacks in the public network.
“Me, I say that it takes 105% of my staff at all times, explains Christian Dubé. So, when I’m in trouble, I have access to private and agencies [de placement]. »
It will be necessary to break a taboo
But to get there, it will be necessary to break a taboo.
The question of private health care has been debated in Quebec since the Chaoulli judgment of the Supreme Court, in 2005, ruled that Quebecers should be able to subscribe to private insurance if they do not obtain care within a reasonable time.
“We have a communication issue, because people are afraid that it will become a two-tier system and that people will not have access,” admits Minister Dubé, who insists on the fact that the system would remain universal.
This opening up to the private sector will be one of the elements contained in a report that the Minister of Health must present to Quebecers by the end of March in order to support his plan to overhaul the health system.
“I’ve been writing this for a year. [ce rapport] “says Minister Dubé.
The document, from his tour of unions and the network, was due to be presented last fall, before being pushed back by a new wave of COVID-19.
The solutions, he warns, are “not rocket science” and have been discussed in other reports, including Wendy Thomson’s for patient-based funding.
The difference will mainly lie in “execution”, he promises.
This “vision” for the next few years will include measures already announced (such as bills on access to doctors and data sharing) and others to come in a future mandate.
Everything will become the basis of a discussion that will lead the CAQ to the next election.
“During the summer, people will be able to talk about it, it will be discussed,” said Mr. Dubé.
See also
Reference-www.journaldequebec.com