Fundraising campaign for nurses: a way of doing that is acceptable, according to the minister

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Nicolas Lachance

Wednesday, 21 march, 2018 18:05

UPDATE
Wednesday, 21 march, 2018 18:08

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The minister of Health Gaétan Barrette is normal that nurses must take a funding campaign to bring their unit devices of vital signs.

• READ ALSO: Hotel-Dieu de Quebec: donations to equip nurses

“Yes, and it happens for years and it has always existed”, has briefly stated the minister in the corridors of the national Assembly on Wednesday.

The Journal revealed on Wednesday that a group of nurses had to carry out a fundraising campaign to equip all the rooms of the second floor of general surgery of the Hotel Dieu of Quebec new devices for vital signs.

The number of mobile machines available was sufficient to meet the needs of the patients, had explained to the CHU. But the nurses wanted to have more in order to improve their working conditions. By selling of goods on the floor, such as handkerchiefs and clothing, they have managed to raise 27 810 $.

With the help of the Foundation of the CHU, which has added almost the same amount, the general surgery unit was able to purchase 20 new monitors.

“Indecent”

The opposition parties did not mince their words to criticize this measure, arguing that budgets need to be allocated for the purchase of these devices for vital signs.

“It is totally abnormal and indecent. These devices are part of the essential instruments that the nurses must have to be to work,” said Diane Lamarre, the spokesperson on Health for the official opposition.

The member of the PQ tip of the finger “ratooning” the minister “asphyxia the public health system”, which is deprived of the instruments and tools essential.

“He calls it-optimization approaches (…) is to optimize care, but eventually the nurses are obliged to buy their equipment by themselves with sociofinancement”, she pestered. She believes that the parking fee should just be used to make up the shortfall for the purchase of these instruments.

Two weights, two measures

The leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec is also outraged, making the parallel with the increase in the salary of doctors.

“This is not normal for nurses to be obliged to make campaigns for the purchase of equipment that are important, especially in a context where the liberal government gives $ 1 billion too much per year to medical specialists,” said François Legault. “It was like a two weights, two measures, there, and then a wrong choice of priorities of the liberal government”.

The opposition is also “appalling” lack of tissue paper is free on the floors of hospitals.