Héma-Québec says Transplant Québec jobs will be secure following merger

Transplant Québec and Héma-Québec are entering into discussions to ensure that the merger of the two organizations –provided for in Bill 7 — has no impact on the organ donation process. The jobs of Transplant Québec staff will be secured during the transfer of activities, Héma-Québec says.

In a press release issued on Monday, Héma-Québec assured that in all the models explored, “staff jobs will be secure, as their expertise is highly recognized.”

The two organizations say they want to start on a new footing. An initial meeting took place last week, and the two are now discussing collaboration to find a win-win solution for everyone. Their ultimate goal is to work together to improve the organ donation process in Quebec.

During special consultations on Bill 7, the “Act to reduce bureaucracy, increase government efficiency, and strengthen the accountability of senior public servants,” Transplant Québec warned that the merger could weaken the organ donation process, putting hundreds of lives at risk each year.

For its part, Héma-Québec said it wanted to retain the expertise of Transplant Québec, which has 55 years of experience in the field of organ donation. The Crown corporation had indicated that it was evaluating the possibility of integrating Transplant Québec as a subsidiary, “which would not result in any short-term changes to the organization’s practices and management,” according to Héma-Québec.

It is not yet known whether the subsidiary model will be adopted. The two organizations will continue discussions in the coming weeks to explore different collaboration scenarios. It was the government that asked Héma-Québec and Transplant Québec to sit down together and come back with proposals.

As part of this work, patient groups and healthcare network stakeholders involved in organ donation and transplantation will be consulted.

At the end of the process, recommendations will be submitted to the Quebec government to guide the next steps. Héma-Québec and Transplant Québec expect to be able to submit their recommendations to Treasury Board President France-Élaine Duranceau in early 2026.

According to Minister Duranceau’s bill, funding for Transplant Québec is set to end on April 1, 2026.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews