Last week it was discovered that the Pontiac Community Hospital (PCH) would likely experience an interruption to their obstetrical services at the end of this week, lasting approximately a month. The reason is that there just aren’t enough nurses available to adequately staff the department.
According to multiple sources, overtime has increased in the past months as the staff at PCH valiantly tried to make do with the resources available to them. Burning out front-line staff with an excessive workload isn’t a viable route forward, and it’s miraculous that they’ve put up with everything so far.
We need more workers, plain and simple. People in the Pontiac deserve health care in their communities, and obstetrics is one of the pillars of rural medicine. A break in the obstetrics services is a canary in the coal mine, signalling more interruptions are coming down the road if no drastic action is taken.
So what’s being done?
Yes, it is true that there’s a staffing shortage across the province. This is not an issue that’s exclusive to Pontiac or the Outaouais.
But if that’s the case, what concrete efforts have been made to bring more workers to the province?
After speaking with several health care professionals, there are a multitude of hurdles facing even Pontiac residents who want to work in the local health system. Language is one, as those wanting to work in the region have to be proficient in both French and English. How likely is it that this government will loosen their rules, after the language hall-monitors tore down all the English words outside the hospital in Lachute?
Let’s call it, uh, doubtful.
Will the province raise wages so that border regions like this one can compete with Ontario?
Highly improbable.
The CAQ have touted their new immigration plan, Bill 9, which they rammed through the legislature at four in the morning back in June. While talking up the new, expedited process that they claim will reduce wait times for skilled workers applying to live in Quebec, they haven’t been as vocal about the new language and values tests they have implemented.
Newcomers will now need to demonstrate proficiency in French after three years, as well as pass a test showing their values align with the province’s, whatever that’s supposed to mean.
It remains to be seen what affect this law will have on those seeking work in Quebec by itself, but more work is still necessary.
Contact the Health Minister, as well as Pontiac’s MNA, and let them know that local health care services are vital to this region.
Caleb Nickerson
