Patients committee getting complaints about French-only meetings at bilingual Montreal hospital

The patients committee at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) says its members are upset over French-only board meetings, adding that some anglophones are being excluded from the institutions that are supposed to serve them.

Though most of the MUHC's board is anglophone, their public meetings are conducted entirely in French.

Some patients are upset with this.

"We have received many, many complaints over the past few months about patients, caregivers, family members who are unable to understand the public portions of the board meetings," said MUHC chair Ingrid Kovitch. "We know many have stopped attending entirely. For the users of the institution, it's not only critical that they be able to understand but to participate in the governance of their institution."

Kovitch said Quebec's new language law, known as Bill 96, is to blame.

"The board of directors, and the MUHC in general, is under fairly intense pressure and scrutiny to abide by Bill 96," she said. "But of course, it's the patients who pay the price."

The MUHC declined an interview request but said as a designated bilingual health institution, it offers care and services to users in French or English, depending on the language preference expressed by the user.

During MUHC board meetings, any questions from the public that are asked in English are answered in English, the MUHC said.

The English-language advocacy group, the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), questions the policy.

"They have the bilingual status, so let's use it," said QCGN's president Eva Ludvig. "You know the saying, if you don't use, it you lose it."

The QCGN said the MUHC should push back like the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) did.

"Our institutions should respect the rights of the English-speaking community, the community that built it and should make sure the community gets the information it requires, including board meetings in English," said Ludvig.

The MUHC patients committee said it is already meeting with lawyers to see to which extent they can add more English to public board meetings without violating the French-language law. 

• LISTERN on CJAD 800 Radio: The McGill University Health Centre now holds its monthly board meetings in French only