Dozens of healthcare workers have had their vehicles stolen in recent months; a trend that is beginning to sow panic in some health facilities, according to the union.
In Trois-Rivières, a hundred vehicles have been stolen from the hospital parking lot over the past year. This is particularly the case of a nurse at the Trois-Rivières Hospital who had her courtesy car stolen on Tuesday evening, following working 16 hours.
“Given that it seems to come from a structured network, it will not be tomorrow the day before that it will stop. We are working on sporadic and ad hoc surveillance and we hope to make other arrests later,” said Trois-Rivières police spokesman Luc Mongrain.
For its part, the Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CIUSSS) indicated that it had installed cameras in a few places, but that caution is in order. By email, he invites employees to lock their doors and check with their insurer for the best protection measures for their vehicle, among other things.
However, these measures do not seem to appease the spirits in the health network.
“I’m on my lunch break, but I have to leave the hospital to get my car from the other side and put it here to make sure it’s safe,” said an employee I met. in the Trois-Rivières Hospital parking lot.
Mélanie Saint-Arnaud, another nurse, had a narrow escape recently, when the police arrested a thief who attacked his Jeep. The latter launched an online petition nearly three weeks ago asking her employer to increase security measures in parking lots. In total, more than 2000 signatures were collected.
“I made a request […] which are barriers that work with our employee card or a chip, and if possible, to add surveillance cameras,” said Ms. Saint-Arnaud.
Patricia Maillot, interim president of the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ) in Mauricie-Centre-du-Québec, agrees.
“What they were saying was that for the installation of barriers, it became too complicated because there, there were doctors or construction workers and there, giving access with cards… Me, I think there is a way to organize to give temporary cards, ”she added.
It is not only in Trois-Rivières that employees fear having their cars stolen. Indeed, this is also the case in some Montreal hospitals. Ouiam Labiad, for example, is still waiting to receive his personal vehicle following having had his vehicle stolen twice in the past year.
“To have our car stolen while we are working is really not normal. This is unacceptable! At least have security in our parking lot, have cameras… Please have a barrier, secure something,” she lamented.