Bill 106: Doctors confront Dubé in parliamentary commission

Several doctors traveled to Quebec City on Tuesday to confront Health Minister Christian Dubé on his Bill 106, which would link up to 25 per cent of their remuneration to performance indicators.

I’m worried about my patients,” said Dr. Pascale Breault. If I have to double the number of patients I see tomorrow morning, (…) that leads to poor-quality medicine. (…) We’re heading towards fast-food medicine.”

As consultations on Bill 106 got underway, Minister Dubé reiterated his goal of having 100 per cent of Quebecers with access to a health professional by the summer of 2026.

But “it takes a mutual commitment,” replied Dr. Benoit Heppell, who accompanied Dr. Breault, Dr. Isabelle Gaston and the president of the Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens (FMOQ), Dr. Marc-André Amyot, on Tuesday.

“I can do something different, as the Minister calls it, but it’s going to take a commitment that on the front line, we want to put resources there,” Dr. Heppell stressed.

The family physician calculated that he could offer 650 more appointments per year to orphan patients if only he had access to more nurses, social workers, psychologists, etc.

“Unfortunately, on the front line and in family medicine groups, access to these professionals is inadequate,” he lamented. Dr. Heppell also informed Dubé that he spends one month a year “filling out paperwork”.

For her part, Dr. Gaston pointed out that not all doctors could work at full capacity. (…) You know, sometimes you don’t get to choose your trials,” she said. Me, I see humans doing their best.”

“We’re short two nurses, an ergo (…) Our CLSC closes on weekends. (…) Where is the government’s responsibility and accountability in terms of front-line access?” Dr. Breault challenged the Minister of Health.

“It’s bad enough that you’re shuffling your doctors around, but I’m not going to start shuffling my patients around to satisfy your balance sheet,” she added.

The FMOQ, like the Fédération des médecins spécialistes (FMSQ), maintains that Bill 106 undermines the morale of physicians, which could lead to their exodus. In fact, 22 per cent of general practitioners are over 60 years of age.

FMSQ President Dr. Vincent Oliva also called the government to account.

“We’re talking about performance: why aren’t the operating rooms running at full capacity? Why will there be only one operating room open this summer for the entire Outaouais region?” he asked the minister.

Alongside him, hemato-oncologist Gabrielle Gagnon denounced the working conditions in some hospitals, where patients have to use a bell while waiting for the warning light system to be repaired.

Bill 106 was tabled on May 8, in the midst of negotiations to renew the framework agreement with the two medical federations. Dubé did not rule out passing the legislation under a gag order.

“The government (…) has completely hijacked the debate in the last two weeks of the parliamentary session,” denounced Liberal MP André Fortin.

“We’re not talking about the government’s record, (…) hospitals that aren’t being built. We’re talking about an open war between the government and doctors,” he added.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews