Quebec health cooperatives call for better distribution of medical personnel

The distribution of medical resources is not equitable enough between urban centers and rural areas, according to the Fédération québécoise des coopératives de santé (FQCS). In a brief submitted as part of the pre-budget consultations, it calls on the government to correct the situation.

In its document, the FQCS makes five recommendations, including that Quebec ensure “a more equitable distribution of medical resources, taking into account regional needs and the role of cooperatives in maintaining local services.”

Health cooperatives—which are operated on a non-profit basis—are similar to clinics, but are administered by citizen members of the FQCS. They provide primary health care services, especially in rural or peri-urban areas where services are lacking.

These health services are provided by more than 280 physicians, mostly general practitioners, nearly 160 nurses, and some 40 other health professionals. Together, they serve approximately 300,000 patients.

“When it comes to allocating medical resources, I’m talking about doctors, so this is done by the territorial departments of family medicine (DTMF). We would like to see special attention paid to areas where there is a greater need for doctors,” explains François Allaire, director of the FQCS, in an interview.

In addition, family doctors practicing in Quebec must devote part of their practice to certain specific activities, such as care in CHSLDs or emergency rooms—what are known as special medical activities (AMP). “We would like health cooperatives to be recognized as special medical assignments in their own right,” argues Allaire.

In its brief, the FQCS also recommends that the government “create a funding program to support health cooperatives in carrying out their mission, in relation to their infrastructure, human resources, and the organization of curative and preventive health services.”

This program would be similar to the Community Organization Support Program. The FQCS has calculated that it would need $2.48 million in government contributions, equivalent to 15 per cent of its operating costs. The total annual expenses for all health cooperatives are estimated at $16.5 million for 2025.

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–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews