Quebec filmmaker denied replacement hand after airplane propeller accident

The War Amps is speaking out after one of its members was denied coverage by Quebec for a mechanical hand.

The Canadian non-profit that assists amputees says there are systemic issues with how the province funds prosthetics and that it's costing amputees the ability to work.

Samuel Vincent-Couillard was well on his way to becoming a pilot in 2015 when tragedy struck as he was getting off a plane and he was hit by a propeller.

"Unfortunately, [it hit] directly in the head, the chest, the back and two legs and hand, which I lost most of," he said.

Vincent-Coullard credits the province's health-care system for saving his life, but the same sysem is now preventing him from getting the prosthetic he needs.

In 2017, his medical team prescribed a mechanical hand similar to an i-Digits Quantum myoelectrical partial hand prosthesis.

 

 

 

 

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As a videographer, he said having two hands would help him be able to work more quickly and be more productive.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Samuel Vincent-Couillard (@samvcouillard)

However, the province refused his request, saying the model is not on the approved list.

War Amps spokesperson Louis Bourassa said not only is Quebec's provincial list outdated, it's also costing amputees quality of life.

"This rigidity of this list, the RAMQ is not flexible and it's a longtime issue we have with them," he said.

Following multiple appeals, Vincent-Couillard took his case to the Quebec Administrative Tribunal, but it upheld the RAMQ decision.

The hand in question costs around $65,000 but Bourassa said it's not about the money.

"Bottom line is what they're saying is if Mr. Vincent-Couillard had been amputated below the elbow, it would have been covered by an artificial limb, but he's only missing part of the hand so it's not covered," he said.

RAMQ (Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec) told CTV News that it understands the situation but that its role is to apply the rules for prosthetics.

The agency added that no exception applies to the situation in question.

Vincent-Couillard says the decision is a failure to see the long-term impact the mechanical hand could have.

"To be able to work more would mean I would be able to do more, pay more taxes," he said. "I would just be able to feel better at the end of the day."

The War Amps said it is considering taking his case to the Human Rights Tribunal of Québec.