Labour shortage affecting access to health care in Abitibi-Temiscamingue

Quebec's labour shortage is creating difficulties in access to health care in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, according to a study published Thursday by the Institut de recherche et d'informations socioéconomiques (IRIS).

Over the past year, the region's health care institutions have experienced numerous service disruptions.

Most notably, the Témiscaming-Kipawa emergency room had to close during evenings and nights for the summer; it reopened last Friday.

According to the study, a lack of health care personnel is the region's leading cause of health care access problems.

"We already know that the average number of nurses and medical specialists in Quebec is insufficient to meet the needs of the population," explains Bertrand Schepper, researcher at IRIS and co-author of the study. "The fact that this number is lower in Abitibi-Témiscamingue is even more problematic given the size of the territory to be covered."

Data compiled by IRIS show that there are 2.7 nurses and nursing assistants per 1,000 inhabitants in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, compared to 3.4 in Quebec.

The number of general practitioners is slightly below that of the province: 1.2 per 1,000 inhabitants, compared to 1.3.

The study also notes that many residents travel to Ontario for treatment -- about 2,400 had to do so in 2019.

"Whether it is the repeated interruption of services or the long wait times to consult a specialist, the problems of access to health care in Abitibi-Témiscamingue precede the pandemic," said Krystof Beaucaire, associate researcher at IRIS and co-author of the study. "In addition to forcing many residents to travel hundreds of kilometres to major hospitals, this may also prompt others to forego certain types of care."

The authors point out that the region has particular challenges related to its demographic and geographic characteristics.

Life expectancy in Abitibi-Témiscamingue is notably lower than in the rest of Quebec, at 78.6 years for men and 82.4 years for women, according to the Institut de la statistique du Québec.

Only residents of the Nord-du-Québec have a lower life expectancy.

"The issues arising from the aging of the population are felt more strongly in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, which has a smaller working-age population than the rest of Quebec," said Beaucaire. "To serve a small population spread over a large territory, Abitibi-Témiscamingue needs more of facilities like CLSCs."

He notes that the region serves as a service corridor for residents of the Nord-du-Québec.

Hospitals in Val-d'Or and Amos receive 5.1 per cent and 3.5 per cent of patients from the Nord-du-Québec, respectively.

Essentially, lack of access to primary care and family physicians impacts emergency rooms.

In Abitibi-Témiscamingue, 72 per cent of emergency room visits are made up of people who need primary care, compared to 53 per cent on average in Quebec.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 22, 2022.