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
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
A woman took her dog to a shelter to be euthanized. A year later, the dog is up for adoption again
Exhausted and short on options after consulting two veterinary clinics, Kristie Pereira made the gut-wrenching decision last year to take her desperately ill puppy to a Maryland shelter to be euthanized.
Community mourns victims of fatal boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
The three people killed in last weekend's tragic collision between a speedboat and a fishing boat north of Kingston are being remembered Friday.
Dolphin stuck in N.J. creek dies after 'last resort' rescue attempt, officials say
Animal welfare officials say a dolphin stuck in a New Jersey creek for more than a week has died after a rescue attempt they say was attempted as a “last resort.”
'God forgives but we don’t': Loud outburst from stabbing victim’s family during sentencing hearing
An emotional outburst in a London, Ont. courtroom Friday disrupted the sentencing hearing of a woman who pleaded guilty for her part in the death of a 29-year-old Mohammed Abdallah.
NASA launches tiny CubeSat to set its sights on Earth
NASA has launched the first of two research satellites to measure how much heat is lost to space from the Arctic and Antarctica.
How to keep insects out of your house, according to an entomologist and other experts
Now that temperatures have warmed up even more this spring, you may be anxious at the thought of bugs invading your home or you may already be battling the pests. Here are expert tips on how to keep them away.
‘It’s pretty alarming’: Urban Wildlife encounters in Winnipeg this week
When you consider what kind of animals you might encounter in your Winnipeg neighborhood, a bear probably isn’t on your list.
Prescriptions for weight loss, diabetes drugs for young people leaped 600% since 2020, study says
The number of young people in the U.S. who are prescribed GLP-1 agonist drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic for weight loss and diabetes soared 594.4 per cent in just three years, according to new research.