And social services, for heaven’s sake!

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Josée Legault

Wednesday, march 7, 2018 16:14

UPDATE
Wednesday, march 7, 2018 16:36

Look at this article

This is THE new. Finally, a detailed study and serious the proof is in black and white : despite higher huge price to pay for the past ten years, the productivity of doctors has decreased.

In short, under the duo Barrette-Couillard, two medical specialists, their colleagues enrich themselves without patients does not benefit in terms of better access to health care, qualitatively and quantitatively.

Those who read me know that I do it myself at the chronicle and analysis for years.

Like what, unfortunately, this same observation was based… I’ll get to that in more details in the chronicle this Thursday and Friday.

(To read this study, it is here.)

And moreover, here are his six recommendations :

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This would make a great beginning of a great household. Now, it goes without saying that Philippe Couillard and his minister of Health, Gaétan Barrette, do not want one.

For the time being, I will simply add this. And in the whole of the work, this is not a detail.

Is that TOO much to pay physicians in québec to public funds – especially, it must be said, the specialists, another study should also be taken into account in the equation. The opposition parties should pay great attention.

I talk about this (excerpt from an article that appeared in The line of Duty last January) :

“More investment in social measures that address poverty would be an antidote more powerful than the repeated rises of the budgets to improve the health of Canadians, argues a study published today in the Journal of the canadian medical Association. “What we observe is that an increase in social spending has a greater impact on health than spending in the health systems themselves.” (…) During the study period (1981-2011), the incidence of premature mortality has been divided by two, as is infant mortality. Life expectancy has increased from 78 to 81 years old.

During this time, social expenditures have increased from $ 770 per capita per year for 970 $, an increase of 25 %. In the same period, health care expenditures have doubled, from $ 2000 to $ 4000 per year per person. But according to the statistical analysis, these are the most modest social investments that have had the most positive impact on the health indicators. (…)

Should we stop spending on our health care system ? The question makes him laugh Daniel Dutton. “It is a question of ratio. Of course, it is not necessary to stop funding the health system. But there are always more and more money, it is not clear that this has a positive effect on the health of the population. Of small increases in social services have a greater impact.” (…)

One thing seems clear to Mr Dutton, ” if a government wants to slow the growth of health care costs while improving the health of its population, a redistribution of money towards social services can operate. There are gains even with modest investments “.”

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However, under the reign of Gaétan Barrette to Health, the social services were particularly sacrificed to the compensation of exponential doctors. This is, among other social services, home care, support for people with disabilities adults or caregivers. In an ageing society such as Quebec, such a sacrifice is a irresponsibility without a name.

Looking for the error…

A last example from among a mountain of other shows this serious problem and its harmful consequences among Quebecers who have need of social services.

An example, albeit an extreme one, but that says a lot about the degeneration of social services under the doctors Barrette and Couillard :

“A man with cerebral palsy who should live in a CHSLD fact save you thousands of dollars to the government thanks to a show of humour that allows him to stay home and work. (…)

With excellent intellectual abilities, Sébastien Lepage needs help to wash. It receives public services, but the number of hours allocated has been cut in half in 2014. To avoid living in a CHSLD, he has engaged employees in the private sector to compensate for the loss of services.

On 11 march, he celebrated on stage with Réal Béland, Jean-Thomas Jobin, Marko Métivier, and other artists who participate as a volunteer at the show at the Maison des arts de Drummondville. Each year it raises nearly $ 18,000 for avoid going to NURSING homes.(…)”

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Kudos for his sense of initiative. The problem is not there.

It is in the fact that in a company known as advanced. a citizen is OBLIGED, by the cuts in social services, the use of the foreign private financing to hire employees in the private sector. All of them, so that he can keep his independence AT home instead of going to sit in a CHSLD, where, in addition, it would cost tens of thousands of dollars per year in public funds in addition to losing his quality of life.

The real problem, he is there! It is in the sacrifice of a part of the social services, including for the most vulnerable people, for the benefit of the medical profession.

And for this gentleman, how many other Quebecers, contrairemenrt to him, do not have friends stand up comedians to raise money? Ask the question…

In short, the government Couillard enriches the medical specialists, but impoverishes the social services then they contribute, also, to keep the citizens in better health and independence for longer.