Credit needs to be given where it is due.
It seems that the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO) is finally listening to Pontiac residents.
Last week, it was announced that former Mayor of Calumet Island, Pierre Fréchette, will be appointed to the CISSSO board of directors.
This is something that stakeholders in the Pontiac have been requesting for quite some time.
The advocacy group Santé Outaouais 2020 recommended that a representative from the Pontiac be appointed to the board so that the concerns of the local population can be heard more regularly.
Even the MRC Pontiac made a formal plea last year to CISSSO to include someone from the area.
“MRC council will request that a Pontiac representative be appointed to the CISSSO board of directors to ensure a healthy flow of information between the board and the citizens it serves,” reads a motion on the MRC Pontiac website.
This is a good move on the part of CISSSO.
Many people in the Pontiac have been especially vocal about the changes to the regional healthcare network in the wake of the 2015 reform that resulted from the passage of Bill 10.
Residents have complained about a deterioration of services and a lack of information, among other things.
When CISSSO proposed paid parking for hospital users at the Shawville Hospital, residents were vocal in their opposition.
A social media group dedicated to improving the local healthcare network quickly garnered more than 3,000 supporters.
But in order for their voices to be heard, they had to travel to Gatineau in order to attend the board of directors meeting.
Once they were inside, they had a brief window to ask questions – none of which were answered.
CISSSO quietly dropped the proposed paid parking initiative eventually, but it still requires employees to register their license plates so they can be charged for parking.
Needless to say, with a Pontiac resident sitting on the board, those concerns will now have a more sympathetic ear.
But it’s unfair to hail Fréchette as a saviour who will singlehandedly fix all that ails the Pontiac health system.
When a Pontiac representative on CISSSO’s board was first proposed, it was shot down by administrators since geography is not a criterion for appointment.
Fréchette made it clear that his mandate is to represent the interest of the entire Outaouais region.
But with someone who has been involved in local politics like Fréchette, it’s hard not to be at least a little optimistic that he will be able to bring local grievances to CISSSO brass.
At the very least, it provides an opportunity that a voice from the Pontiac has a seat at the table, which is a step in the right direction.
Chris Lowrey
