It’s a common complaint in these parts that the healthcare system in the Pontiac was much more efficient before the amalgamation of the region’s healthcare networks as a result of the provincial government’s Bill 10.
Many people have talked about the degradation of services, the increased bureaucracy and the need to travel to Gatineau more often than in the past.
On Dec. 13, the advocacy group Santé Outaouais 2020 released a report that put those complaints on paper.
The report interviewed 15 different people with intimate knowledge of the local healthcare network.
The main issues pointed out by the report revolve around the increased level of bureaucracy and a lack of responsiveness when it comes to managers in the system.

Previously, managers were nimble enough to deal with a host of issues that inevitably come up when running a hospital. Under the new structure, each position is rigidly defined which limits the ability of the managers to solve issues.
The report is fairly wide-ranging and includes perspectives from people with “boots on the ground.” Those interviewed include doctors and CISSSO representatives, as well as employees who gave feedback but wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution.
These are people with first-hand experience with the problems of the amalgamated healthcare network in the Pontiac.
The three co-authors – including former Hull Mayor Michel Légère, Gilbert Langelier and Paul-Émile LeBlanc – compiled a detailed report that includes both the perspective of front-line staff as well as CISSSO representatives.
When the report was brought to the attention of Quebec Health Minister Gaétan Barrette, he immediately questioned the validity of the report by dismissing it as biased.
“I do not receive it as a report, but as an opinion piece,” Barrette said.
Apparently, the opinions of front-line healthcare workers and former politicians don’t hold enough weight.
Barrette also said that the criticism that local healthcare networks, like the one in the Pontiac, lost flexibility is unfair.
Barrette said the reforms were meant to increase flexibility and that he had a lot of “difficulty accepting this comment” from the report’s authors.
An example of how inflexible the new system is was listed in the report.
The Shawville Hospital used to have a stamping machine for its mail. After amalgamation, the machine was moved to Gatineau. Now, all mail must go to Gatineau to be postage stamped before it is sent out – often to Pontiac addresses.
This is his definition of flexibility? That mail destined for the Pontiac has to be sent to Gatineau for a stamp before it can come back and be sent to local residents?
Seems like a textbook example of excessive bureaucracy.
Barrette also called into question the impartiality of those who wrote the article. Barrette said it is hard not to question potential biases creeping into their writing.
It seems Barrette would only believe a report released by his own organization. And how likely is it that CISSSO is going to come out and be critical of itself?
The assistant to CISSSO’s CEO even admitted that the new system wouldn’t receive the same level of satisfaction as the old system.
CISSSO’s own spokespeople know the population in the Pontiac is dissatisfied. Yet their concerns are dismissed as biased.
Does Barrette and his squad just think people in the region are complaining to give themselves something to do?
People in this community worked hard to raise money and build the Shawville Hospital Centre into what it is today. They saw what the hospital was capable of – staying on budget while still providing responsive and dynamic care.
Residents have seen that standard of care drop, and the health minister criticizes their complaints as “opinions.”
Well, their opinions are all that matters come election time. And if Barrette and the provincial Liberals want to stay in office, they better start listening.

Chris Lowrey