On Oct. 13, Quebec’s Ministry of Health released concrete data on the number of unvaccinated healthcare workers across the province, just two days before the province’s mandated double-vaccination deadline for all healthcare workers in Quebec.
In September, when the vaccine requirements for healthcare workers was first announced, Quebec’s health minister Christian Dubé estimated there were more than 40,000 people in the health service that were not adequately vaccinated. At the time, Santé publique was either unable or unwilling to provide more concrete data.
By late September, when it became apparent that the Pontiac hospital’s already strained resources could be further reduced by the suspension of up to 40 healthcare workers, THE EQUITY reached out to CISSSO for confirmation. In an email to THE EQUITY a CISSSO representative wrote, “We don’t have this data at the moment, but we are working to get it soon” (translated). They were only able to confirm staffing numbers at the hospital which stood at 231 as of Sept. 11.
When the ministry of health released detailed data on Oct. 13 for all 18 health regions across the province, The Equity hoped we could finally provide some answers to the community on how the hospital and CLSCs in the Pontiac would be affected due to the imminent suspension of unvaccinated staff.
The information provided by the health authority is thorough. It details the unfilled posts in each region, the number of unvaccinated and those having received one dose (thus inadequately vaccinated) going back to August 26. The total numbers for the province stood at 43,461, lining up with Dubé’s original estimate of over 40,000. The table also provides updated numbers for Oct. 11, which saw total numbers of the inadequately vaccinated reduced to 22,446.
THE EQUITY again reached out to CISSSO for more specific numbers. In an Oct. 18 email, a CISSSO representative wrote, “We only have [data] for the entire Outaouais region” (translated).
So the question remains: how is this possible? How can detailed information be provided for every health region across the province, but not the Pontiac hospital? How can the CISSSO provide specific data on staffing at the Pontiac Hospital, but not how many of those staff members may be suspended without pay when the now extended to Nov. 15 double vaccine mandate deadline passes? If the health authority truly doesn’t have this information for the Pontiac Hospital, what about the Gatineau Hospital or in Hull?
When the province reaches the Nov. 15 deadline, inevitably, some staff will be suspended without pay. Though, thankfully, about 50 per cent less than originally expected in August if the regional numbers reflect the numbers in the MRC. We do not know.
How did Quebec’s Ministry of Health obtain data on the unvaccinated in the first place? One would imagine that hospitals and CLSCs reported the numbers of unvaccinated at their facilities to the ministry. Was this data not retained? We do not know.
How can Santé publique effectively redeploy healthcare staff to fill gaps in care when unvaccinated workers are suspended on Nov. 15? We do not know.
At the end of the day, the problem is either a lack of transparency or it is yet another symptom of the healthcare system’s centralization or both. THE EQUITY or anyone from the public should not be forced to seek answers from health care workers on the ground in order to find out the most basic information. While the information should be easy to obtain, its absence will have a massive impact on the health and wellbeing of the people of the Pontiac.
What will CISSSO do about that?
Jorge Maria
