(Quebec) Partially closed since mid-October, the emergency services of the Senneterre Health Center will reopen on March 7 with the hiring of two nurses and a nursing assistant. The death of a local man during ER closing hours caused consternation in November.
Posted at 4:42 p.m.
The Minister of Health and Social Services confirmed Thursday that the emergency services of the CLSC de Senneterre in Abitibi-Témiscamingue will be open again at all times starting March 7.
“We said that as soon as we had the manpower available to reopen the CLSC emergency, we would do it. I did say that every nurse can make a difference. We have an example here and I am happy to announce that it is done,” argued the Minister at the Blue Room. Mr. Dubé was hounded by the solidarity MP Émilise Lessard-Therrien on the labor shortage.
“At home, the situation is not improving,” said the MP for Rouyn-Noranda–Témiscamingue, saying that the shortage is getting worse at the CISSS Abitibi-Témiscamingue. “A year ago, when I rose in the House, I was talking about a shortage of nurses of about 250. Well, there we are at around 330,” she added during the question period.
So that’s 80 nurses less. And all the programs that the minister [Dubé] has put in place, temporary programs, only made it possible to recruit six nurses in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
Émilise Lessard-Therrien, MNA for Rouyn-Noranda–Témiscamingue
Enough to allow, in particular, the reopening of the emergency services of Senneterre. The CISSS de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue confirmed the news on Thursday afternoon. The resumption of activities is also made possible thanks to the return of certain employees who were absent. Both Minister Dubé and Mr.me Lessard-Therrien affirmed that this news was not unrelated to the mobilization of the community.
Christian Dubé compared Senneterre’s offensive to recruit nursing staff to “a great seduction”. “I think so, we are going through difficult times, but in addition, our efforts are starting to bear fruit,” added the Minister. The president and director general of the CISSS de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Caroline Roy, nevertheless reiterated Thursday that the labor shortage “continues to exert strong pressure on the organization”.
The closure of the Senneterre emergency room caused a stir last fall. The former mayor of the place, Jean-Maurice Matte, had made his way to the National Assembly to demand the personal intervention of Minister Dubé in the file. At that time, the Legault government was preparing to impose the compulsory vaccination of nursing staff. Health establishments, already weakened by the shortage of manpower, had to provide contingency plans to Minister Dubé.
Despite the abandonment of the measure, the emergencies of Senneterre had to be closed 16 hours a day for lack of manpower. What the community feared occurred on November 30 when a man from Senneterre, Richard Genest, died during closing hours. The CISSS assured that “all the protocols in force have been respected”.
The opposition parties had criticized Minister Dubé for having given the green light to this service reorganization. The government claimed for its part that the closure of the emergency room had nothing to do with the death of the 65-year-old man. The coroner’s office is still investigating.