2024-10-09 00:03:00
The Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, questions the relevance of certain analyzes carried out in medical laboratories, while medical technologists maintain that they are overwhelmed.
• Also read: Analysis of medical samples: private sector demands put pressure on the public network, technologists deplore
TVA Nouvelles revealed Monday that the amounts of services provided by external hospitals from the private sector have exploded in recent years and that technologists deplore that this adds pressure to them.
This pressure could also be linked to the aging of the population, which leads to more samples that must be processed, according to the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale.
The president of the Alliance of Professional and Technical Personnel in Health and Social Services (APTS) is calling for more transparency in contracts.
“We want them to be transparent with us and make these contracts with private clinics accessible,” he says. At that time we will see if his directive not to analyze private samples is really followed,” he maintains.
Dr. Jean Longtin, microbiologist-infectious disease specialist and associate medical director of OPTILAB Capitale Nationale, believes that the private sector is not responsible for the overload; rather, it points the finger at the aging of the population.
“If someone is unable to make an appointment at a hospital testing center […] They will have it done by a nurse, for example, who is in an agency that takes samples,” he maintains.
For his part, Christian Dubé reiterates that they are banking on the work of Santé Québec to resolve this problem.
“With the experience of Ms. Biron who knew how to manage a laboratory company with skill and aplomb, I think that by transferring this file to them, we will look at the relevance, we will look at automation”
This argument, however, does not satisfy the spokesperson for Québec solidaire in terms of health, Vincent Marissal.
“Santé Québec is Ms. Biron from Laboratoires Biron. We are starting to get quite close to something that is not entirely clear,” mentions the elected official.
“What we are going to look for with Ms. Biron and her team is expertise. Can we better manage a network of 200 million tests per year? The answer is yes,” argues Christian Dubé.
The Parti Québécois wishes to bring together all the stakeholders so that the functioning of OPTILAB can be demystified.
“The government, as we asked a year ago, must put its cards on the table and tell us how things are going on the ground and how many contracts are given to private clinics, how much it costs and what order of priority is privileged,” supports PQ MP Joël Arseneau.
The Liberals believe, for their part, that this situation is linked to the fact that more Quebecers are turning to the private sector.
“If there is an increase in requests for analyzes from the private sector, it is because there are more Quebecers who feel obliged to turn to the private sector and who feel obliged to pay out of their own pockets. to have analyzes that should be done by the public,” says Liberal MP André Fortin.
Québec Solidaire, for its part, deplores that another solution has not been found by the government to carry out these medical tests.
“OPTILAB was a mistake,” says the party’s co-spokesperson, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois. Besides, if I remember correctly, the CAQ had promised to put an end to this project. People who have loved ones or who have themselves undergone medical tests want to have results that are reliable, and quickly. On that point, OPTILAB is a failure across the board.”
See the full explanation in the video above.
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Title: The Great Debate: The Relevance of Medical Laboratory Analysis and the Strain on Public Healthcare
A recent article has shed light on a contentious issue rocking the medical community in Quebec. The Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, has raised questions about the relevance of certain medical laboratory analysis, while medical technologists cry out that they are overwhelmed. But is the private sector to blame for this strain on public healthcare, or is there another culprit at play?
At first glance, it seems that the increased demand for medical laboratory analysis from external hospitals in the private sector has created a bottleneck in the system. According to the same article, the amounts of services provided by external hospitals from the private sector have exploded in recent years. It’s no surprise, then, that technologists are feeling the pressure. The president of the Alliance of Professional and Technical Personnel in Health and Social Services (APTS) is calling for more transparency in contracts between the public and private sectors. This is a reasonable request, as it would allow the government to assess the feasibility of honoring such contracts.
However, Dr. Jean Longtin, microbiologist-infectious disease specialist and associate medical director of OPTILAB Capitale Nationale, presents a different view. In his opinion, the private sector is not the root cause of the overload; rather, it’s the aging of the population that’s to blame. This demographic shift has led to an increase in the number of medical samples that need to be processed, thereby putting additional pressure on technologists. This perspective makes sense, as an aging population often requires more medical attention and testing.
Minister Dubé has announced that the government will be tasking Santé Québec with reviewing the relevance of certain laboratory analysis. While this might sound like a step in the right direction, the spokesperson for Québec solidaire in terms of health, Vincent Marissal, remains unimpressed. For Marissal, Santé Québec is not equipped to handle this task, and the government should instead focus on bolstering public healthcare services.
The question remains: will the government be able to address the strain on public healthcare caused by the bottleneck in medical laboratory analysis? Or will this debate continue to go back and forth, with neither side willing to concede? One thing is certain, though – something needs to change. The status quo is unsustainable, and the people of Quebec deserve better.
Action Items for the Government:
- Implement measures to reduce the strain on public healthcare services, such as increasing the number of technologists and upgrading laboratory equipment.
- Review contracts between the public and private sectors to ensure that they are transparent and feasible.
- Consult with medical experts and stakeholders to determine the best course of action.
- Consider long-term solutions to address the effects of an aging population on public healthcare services.
What’s Next:
It will be interesting to see how this debate unfolds in the coming weeks and months. Will the government take action to address the concerns of medical technologists and the broader public? Or will this issue continue to simmer, only to boil over in the future? One thing is certain, though – this debate has shed light on the complex nature of public healthcare, and it’s an issue that we will be following closely.
