Healthcare Privatization Sparks Protest in Québec
On November 27th, around 300 union members took to the streets to voice their opposition to what they see as an escalating encroachment of the private sector into the province’s public health system.
Demonstrating outside the Rivière-du-Loup Health Complex built by Medway Group, the protesters voiced concerns about the direction of healthcare in the region.
“It symbolizes everything wrong with our healthcare system,” declared David Bergeron-Cyr, vice-president of the CSN. “It’s like private and public services mixed together when it really solves nothing. These are luxury condos built for the rich at the top, while people who need real healthcare are left behind.”
The union highlighted a stark financial reality. They noted that the CISSS du Bas-Saint-Laurent faces a shortfall of $34 million, a significant part of which they attribute to the reliance on independent labor from private health agencies.
Public Access and Workforce Concerns
Trinity,
“Private healthcare is not the solution; it’s part of the problem,” Bergeron-Cyr underscored. “It’s about profit, not about people’s health.” He emphasized that despite the increasing presence of the private sector, waiting times for surgeries across the province haven’t improved.
The FSSS-CSN, a major union representing healthcare workers across Quebec, contends that the nine-story buildings – three floors of which are dedicated to commercial use – exemplifies this worrying trend of mixed public and private healthcare practices.
“We learned that the Family Medicine Group and the CLSC will be housed together in this building, on top of which private services and companies are added. When I went to my GMF and they offered to cover the cost of blood tests, I knew something was wrong,” added Pauline Bélanger. “This mixing is blurring lines. We risk losing the care system we fought hard to build: Free, accessible, and public.”
Bergeron-Crypto stresses that while the private sector may offer more attractive working hours, the long-term consequences are concerning.,
“The workload and stress on public healthcare workers is increasing, as more complicated cases are left for the public system,” Bergeron-Cyr asserted. “We need to protect our public system, not weaken it.”
Response from Medway Group
Responding to the protests, the Medway Group stated its commitment to public healthcare.
“We understand the concerns expressed during the demonstration,” a statement read. “We want to be clear: the medical clinics within their projects are registered within the public health network, just like CLSCs, offering care covered by the RAMQ. At no point are we planning private clinics. We aim to support doctors by providing innovative management expertise, allowing them to focus entirely on patient care. Plans for the building include other health services like dental and physiotherapy, not private alternatives.”
Earlier in October, hundreds protested the same issue on Rue Saint-Louis, expressing concerns about the future of the CLSCs within the new complex. Personnel automations are slated to relocate to this new nine story tower in winter 2025.
What is the CSN’s stance on the use of private healthcare providers within the Quebec public health system?
## Healthcare Privatization: A Quebec Standoff
**Interviewer:** Welcome back to the show. We’re discussing the growing concerns over healthcare privatization in Quebec, following recent protests against the use of private services within the public system. With us today is David Bergeron-Cyr, vice-president of the CSN, a major union representing healthcare workers. David, thank you for joining us.
**David Bergeron-Cyr:** Thank you for having me.
**Interviewer:** Now, tell us about the protest at the Rivière-du-Loup Health Complex. What are the specific concerns of your union?
**David Bergeron-Cyr:** The protest was a direct response to what we see as an alarming trend – the increasing reliance on private healthcare providers within our public system. We gathered outside the brand new complex built by Medway Group because it symbolizes the problem perfectly. It’s a luxurious building with some floors dedicated to private units, while our public system struggles with a massive $34 million shortfall in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region. We believe this reliance on private companies is draining resources and ultimately failing to address the needs of the people.
**Interviewer:** Your statement emphasizes that privatization is not the solution. Can you elaborate on that?
**David Bergeron-Cyr:** Absolutely. We believe that private healthcare, driven by profit, is inherently incompatible with the goal of providing accessible, quality healthcare to everyone.
The funding poured into private ventures within the public system, like the complex in Rivière-du-Loup, comes at the expense of improved public services. We’ve seen no improvement in surgeries wait times despite this increasing presence of private providers.
**Interviewer:** What’s the impact on healthcare workers within this shifting landscape?
**David Bergeron-Cyr:** The reliance on private agency workers undermines job security and working conditions for our members. It fosters a two-tiered system where public workers face increased workloads while private agencies profit from the strained system.
**Interviewer:** what does the CSN suggest as a solution moving forward?
**David Bergeron-Cyr:** We need a commitment to strengthening and investing in our public healthcare system. This means redirecting resources away from private ventures and focusing on improved working conditions, increased staffing, and equitable access to care for all Quebecois. We need to ensure healthcare remains a public good, not a privilege for those who can afford it.