MONTREAL -- While thousands of Quebecers have signed up to help out the province's healthcare workers, only a portion of them are being called upon.

Roughly 40,000 people applied to help through the province's 'Je Contribue' website, but only 3,000 have been contacted as of Thursday.

Dermatologist Michele Ohayon said it was frustrating to be left on the sidelines. She said she has been trying to help for two weeks but only received a call back on Thursday.

“I'm all dressed, I'm ready to go to work,” she said. “I'm just waiting for somebody to tell me where to go.”

“I can feed patients, I can wash patients. I can take care of them because I'm a physician. I can deal with a lot of basic needs.”

Retired nurse Johanne Labrie faced a similar situation after filling out the government's form a month ago. She said she never heard back.

“Call us,” she said. “Call the retirees.”

Health Minister Danielle McCann has stressed the need for fresh blood as healthcare workers find themselves stretched thin. McCann signed an extension of the province's emergency order, which allows the government to allow medical students and recent retirees to practice druing the pandemic.

“We need thousands and thousands of people, not just a few hundred,” said McCann. “Maybe some nurses fell between the cracks. I invite them, if they want to be on the Je Contribue list, if they are outside of the network, for instance, we will of course follow up on their offer. But we did contact everyone we could.”

Luke Maes was a nurse for 17 years in his home country of Australia. He said he still needs to undergo a 30-day internship before becoming a registered nurse in Quebec.

“I can work, whether it's in a nursing home or emergency department, I don't mind where I work,” he said. “I just want to be able to be on the frontline and helping.”

Maes said he's contacted a long list of hospitals and organizations to see if he can help in any way.

“It just keeps getting past human resources and then nothing,” he said. “For me, the problem is, it's too much bureaucracy, too much red tape. I understand there's a process but in times of pandemic or crisis they need to prioritize the right people.”

PAY SCALE FRUSTRATES

The slow callbacks aren't the only frustration for medical professionals looking to help. Roughly 2,000 specialist physicians have offered to step up to the frontlines. But those specialists are getting paid $2,500 per day, a number that's left Quebec's nurses' union furious.

"Under no circumstances are specialists going to replace nurses," said FIQ executive committee member Roberto Bomba. "Nurses cannot be replaced by doctors and specialists."

According to Bomba, nurses are earning an increase of less than 10 per cent during the crisis, topping out at around $50 per hour. A specialist working as a nurse can earn $211 per hour. 

"It frustrates me," said Bomba. "There's a double standard in this province."

Orderlies working at the province's CHSLDs are also earning an incremental increase but CSN spokesperson Jeff Begley said that not's enough.

"We have orderlies and cleaning staff that are cleaning and attending to patients with coronavirus that have a premium that's less than $15 per day," he said. "My first reaction was disbelief and my second reaction was disappointment."

Anne Dionne, a spokesperson for the CSQ, which represents emergency daycare workers, said her union's members aren't earning any upgrade.

"It's hard not to be outraged by that," she said. "Do they deserve it? That's not the context. The context is that there are so many workers out there that do not get that recognition and they've been asking for it."