An open letter from Pontiac doctors to

Christian Dubé, Quebec’s Minister of Health

Dear Minister,

The medical imaging, ultrasound, CT scan, mammography and X-ray department is an essential service in a modern hospital. Without this department, there is no possibility of offering services in surgery, intensive care, general care, emergency room, etc.

Since the closure of our local obstetrics department, the majority of our parents have given birth in Pembroke, Ontario.

We are proud of the services we can still offer to the people of the Pontiac, but with a major salary disadvantage for our technicians, we risk losing them and finding ourselves without these services.

If the radiology department closes, it will lead to increased traffic and additional pressure on the Gatineau and Hull hospitals (emergency, surgery, trauma, neuro-stroke, etc.). The risk of death for our population will be higher, not to mention the delay in diagnosis.

We therefore ask you to resolve this issue so that we do not lose this service in our area.

Please accept, Mr. Minister, our distinguished greetings.

Dr. C. Lareau, radiologist, Dr. F. Homayounfar, head surgeon, Dr. K. Roustaian, chief of anesthesia, Dr. A. Karabatsos, internist, Dr. J. Wootton, president GMF, Dr. T. O’Neill, retired chief of anesthesia, and Dr. J. Séguin-Bigras, chief of Pontiac ER department