The Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec seduced by the proposals of the PQ

Photo Stevens LeBlanc
The desire of the Parti québécois to grant more autonomy to the super-nurses is music to the ears of the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec.

Patrick Bellerose

Thursday, 31 August, 2017 10:51

UPDATE
Thursday, 31 August, 2017 15:47

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SAINT-EUSTACHE | The desire of the Parti québécois to grant more autonomy to the super-nurses is music to the ears of the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec.

“What I saw in the newspapers yesterday, it’s really interesting. These are the things that we advocated for several years. For example, the expansion of the professional care, more autonomy, more focus on better care for patients,” commented Thursday, the outgoing president of the organization, Régine Laurent.

The president of the FIQ is currently doing a tour of all the opposition parties to present its priorities and proposals for the health network. Thursday, it was the turn of the PQ, which is met in caucus présessionnel in Saint-Eustache.

Régine Laurent was also in Shawinigan for the caucus of the CAQ in the beginning of the week. For the president of the FIQ, the plan unveiled Wednesday by the PQ is “more detailed” than the one presented by the CAQ.

The proposal by the PQ is, “up here”, the most interesting of those presented by the various political groups, she said.

The FIQ remains neutral

However, the organization does not take a position in view of the elections of 2018. “We have a clear direction to the FIQ : it is a non-partisan,” said Régine Laurent.

The one who will leave his position of president in December, also closes the door to politics. “The policy that I am doing now is really fun for me, so I have no intention to do otherwise,” says Régine Laurent.

It stresses, however, having been approached by political formations in recent years, but not for the next election.

Not a “war.”

Régine Laurent also refutes the analysis of the minister of Health Gaétan Barrette, who considers that the PQ wants to “go to war with the doctors” by freezing their pay, and entrusting a greater share of their responsibilities to other health professionals.

“I don’t see it as that,” she said. When we put things on the table, it can disturb, she says. I think that the public may understand that one can put a kind of framework for the remuneration of doctors and, at the same time, what I also understand is that this is money that will be used more for patients for better care.”

“So, I don’t see it as a war,” she adds.

In spite of everything, she expected to be a resistance on the part of general practitioners. “I have gray hair, the resistance of the doctors I’ve seen since I started working as a nurse,” she said. So, it’s going to be yet another strength.”

The FMOQ denounces

For its part, the Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec considers that the PQ is trying to make political points by attacking its members. “Mr. Lisée seems to have an aversion for the medical profession,” said his spokesman, Jean-Pierre Dion.

On Wednesday, the head of the parti québecois promised to reopen the agreement recently signed recently with general practitioners, even before the parameters of the agreement were unveiled. “It shows good faith,” says Jean-Pierre Dion.

As to the idea of entrusting more responsibilities to other health professionals, the FMOQ replied that “the fundamental problem is that there is a lack of nurses in the front line”.