Quebec health system: “In terms of accessibility of care, there has been a significant deterioration” since the arrival of the CAQ

2024-10-15 16:07:00

Quebec’s health system is in a worse position than it was before the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) came to power six years ago, according to former Liberal Health Minister Dr Yves Bolduc.

• Also read: Health system: Quebecers are turning to the private sector

“In terms of accessibility to care, there is a sharp deterioration. What we see above all, if you want to have rapid care, you have to pay,” he said in an interview with LCN.

The doctor gives the example of laboratory examinations for which many Quebecers choose to turn to the private sector, in particular because of the long processing times.

“People feel like they have to pay. They have no choice because, often, it can be semi-emergencies or emergencies. They go to pharmacies or other places where it costs them $30, $50 and there are even places where it costs $80,” says the former minister.

Some private clinics even go so far as to charge $400 to $700 for a blood test, according to Dr. Bolduc.

“This is a good example of something that has been put in place which makes it work more or less well and which reduces accessibility. And it was done recently,” he maintains.

New structure, better accessibility?

For the former Minister of Health, the arrival of the Santé Québec agency is above all “a structural change”.

“A structural change does not necessarily bring improvement. It depends on the people who are inside and how it will be managed,” he warns.

Dr. Bolduc also believes that using the Internet to make appointments is not the answer to everything.

“The other illusion that we are currently creating, from what I can see, is that they think that artificial intelligence, then the Internet, will solve all the problems in the health network. When your problem is a problem of staff shortage, it is not by reorganizing trajectories differently that you are going to solve the problem,” he declares.

Front line access counter

Despite his criticism of the health system, Dr. Yves Bolduc still recognizes that the Front Line Access Desk “has been a good improvement.”

“I would tell you that for this improvement, there are some in other places, including, among others, I would like to say, the laboratories, it does not make good sense to have removed the without an appointment,” he says.

The former minister also suggests that vaccination centers also be used for blood tests in order to improve delays.

And recent Léger survey unveiled Tuesday reveals that a majority of Quebecers believe that the health system has deteriorated under the CAQ and that many of them are turning to the private sector.

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