More than 10,000 gathered in Montreal to demand suspension of Bill 2

More than 10,000 demonstrators descended on Montreal’s Bell Centre on Sunday to demand the suspension of a new law that changes how doctors in the province are paid. Doctors from across the province say this Bill threatens their profession and patient care.

Organized by a quartet of medical federations, the protest took aim at legislation known as Bill 2 that Premier François Legault forced through the national assembly late last month.

“This is a united message from the four medical federations, from all the experts in Quebec, telling François Legault and (Health Minister) Christian Dubé to put Bill 2 on hold,” said Dr. Marc-André Amyot, president of the Federation of General Practitioners of Quebec, shortly before the event kicked off.

“Imposing measures as they are currently doing will lead to disasters and abuses, and these disasters have already begun: 550 doctors have already announced that they are leaving Quebec.”

Passed on Oct. 25, the law ties part of physicians’ remuneration to performance targets and threatens steep fines for those who use pressure tactics to boycott the changes.

Doctors argue it muzzles them and could drive physicians out of Quebec, with medical associations opting to challenge it in court.

Doctors, medical students and their families streamed in from across the province Sunday, with 17 buses bringing demonstrators from as far afield as Rimouski and Trois-Rivières. More than 12,500 people crowded into the Montreal Canadiens’ arena, according to the Federation of General Practitioners of Quebec.

It launched with a band named The Doc Show — a dozen physicians singing and riffing on electric guitars and a saxophone — and featured the heads of associations representing nearly 30,000 family doctors, resident physicians, medical specialists and medical students. A doctor mascot bobbed through the crowd for selfies amid the roving arena lights and signs reading, “I love my doctor” and 

Between songs and speakers, videos played of doctors and students from across the province offering their take on the bill, with descriptions ranging from “deplorable” and “cruel” to “shocking” and “fast-food” care — a reference to the portion of physicians’ pay now tied to the number of patients they serve. Opponents argue that change incentivizes quantity over quality.

‘Fast-food care’

Ryan Kara, president of McGill University medical students association, compared the government demands for fast patient care to fast-food service, which he said would result in “bad care.”

“When you see a new bill that, essentially, forces current doctors to spend five to 10 minutes with patients to be efficient to the cost of the patients, it’s scary,” Kara said.

George Michaels, medical director at Clinic MDCM, said “In the 40 years I’ve been practicing medicine in Quebec, but with all the reforms that have been… this is absolutely the worst reforms of all the other reforms.”

Nicholas Hamelin, a surgeon at the rally on Sunday, said, “What they’re doing is basically a slow death for medicine in Quebec and we have to fight against that.”

‘Oppressive’ law

The government fast-tracked Bill 2 using closure in late October, arguing the law is needed to ensure access to family doctors and timely care for all Quebecers.

Alex Filion, who’s married to an oncologist, came to support his wife, said, “It is unreasonable for a government to force that law.”

Meanwhile medical student Kara criticized the restrictions on collective action by doctors, including medical students.

“The current bill, which is oppressive towards the rights to protest, our right to express our opinion, but also our right of association and our right to essentially be Canadians, people-backers and give, provide care to the patients,” Kara said.

Protesters also said that they should have been consulted in the drafting of the law instead of unilaterally imposing it.

“They need to work with the doctors, the grassroots. That’s how you’re going to have the best solutions,” Michaels said.

Mounting pressure on government

This isn’t the first show of opposition to Bill 2, last Saturday, about a thousand people rallied in front of the National Assembly in Quebec City.

In response to mounting criticism, Health Minister Christian Dubé announced Tuesday that two provisions of the law would be suspended.

The government will continue, until further notice, to pay a bonus to medical specialists for first consultations, a payment that was set to be abolished and redistributed.

It will also maintain the 30 per cent supplement given to family doctors in group practices to cover administrative costs.

However, the FMOQ said it will only return to negotiations if the province follows the College of Physicians’ recommendation and fully suspends the implementation of Bill 2.

The federation is also demanding the removal of performance indicators that encourage “fast-food medicine,” the elimination of patient colour coding, and guarantees of sufficient staffing to improve access to care.

– With files from The Canadian Press