Health Minister Gaetan Barrette says the incident at St. Mary’s Hospital that left a man dead could have been handled differently.
"My opinion, personally is that it should have happened differently,” said Barrette who was dogged by questions about the incident Monday as he took tour of the Jewish General Hospital's new wing.
Last November, Mark Blandford, 73, walked into St. Mary's with abdominal pain that turned out to be an aortic aneurysm. Despite his critical condition, he was transferred to the MUHC, but died before he could receive care.
Staff at St. Mary's said the vascular surgeon was no longer allowed to perform that type of surgery on the orders of the administration.
Despite repeatedly saying he wouldn't comment, on Monday Barrette said a few words.
“What we're seeing today is a number of doctors and specifically one doctor that wasn't happy with the decision being made in his institution,” he said.
Hospital administrators say plans to discontinue aortic surgery were not yet official, so the surgeon could have operated on Blandford.
To Montrealers concerned about similar situations happening again, Barrette says transfers happen every day and will continue under Quebec's health care reform:
“It’s not about St. Mary's or the CIUSSS, it’s about any patient in critical condition. Arrangements are to be in place so that the patient will receive the proper care,” said Barrette.
The questions surrounding Blandford's death have prompted a coroner's investigation and the Quebec College of Physicians is currently gathering evidence to decide if it will follow suit.
