Coalition Avenir Quebec promises new health agency as election nears
The Coalition Avenir Québec is promising to create a new health agency "to coordinate the operations of the system" and make the network "more efficient and more humane."
Minister of Health and Social Services Christian Dubé announced the election commitment Wednesday morning in Quebec City.
"We have all seen the failures of our health-care system during the pandemic. Everyone agrees that we need to change the way things work in health and social services," said Dubé.
The new agency, Santé Québec, will have the mandate to coordinate the operations of the health system, while the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) will focus on its role in planning, guiding, measuring performance and budgeting the network.
To illustrate how this new agency could allow for the decentralization and "de-bureaucratization" of the system, Dubé gave the example of the vaccination campaign against COVID-19.
"The MSSS, in collaboration with public health and the Comité d'immunisation du Québec (CIQ), provided clinical guidance for the vaccination. Within the network, a separate team was responsible and accountable for operations. This contributed to the success of the patient experience of Quebecers during their vaccination against COVID-19," he said.
He made it clear that "the idea is not to embark on a major structural reform that will disrupt everything on the ground."
Dubé indicated that the creation of this new agency was inspired by the health and social services renewed governance report, which was unveiled last June by Deputy Minister of Health Dominique Savoie.
Savoie, who had been mandated by the government to conduct a diagnostic of the health network, proposed the creation of a "neutral, fully accountable, highly operational entity, focused on results and user satisfaction."
According to the minister, the new agency will allow the CEOs of the CIUSSS and CISSS to have "the legitimacy to act according to the realities specific to each region and institution."
Allowing the CEOs of the various regions to have more autonomy is also an element of Savoie's report.
"If Quebecers put their trust in us on October 3, we will table a bill as soon as parliament resumes. This will allow us to hear from everyone and adjust as needed," said the health minister.
During the news conference, Dubé was accompanied by Lionel Carmant, Minister of Health and Social Services, Shirley Dorismond, MNA for Marie-Victorin, Marilyne Picard, MNA for Soulanges, and candidates for the next elections Sonia Bélanger and Samuel Gatien.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 17, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.