“Today’s announcements aren’t changing the main problems concerning labour shortage, Quebec’s delay in home support, the lack of hospital beds, the lack of places in CHSLDs, or the under -funding of some services,” said Caroline Senneville, president of the CSN.

“To strengthen access to the most important, and ensure each patient sees the right professional, we must rely on CLSCs,” she added. “Over the years, CLSDs have been butchered in their mission. That’s why we’re having those problems today. Family Medicine Groups (FMG) are private companies. They’ll never be able to offer multidisciplinary teams everywhere in the province, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Yet, that’s what must be done to reduce the pressure in the establishments.”

The CSN doesn’t believe the government’s making the right choice by entrusting even more accommodation spaces to the private sector. On the contrary, those needs will have to convince the government to create new places in public CHSLDs.

The CSN regrets the government is still pushing back the shift toward home care. The inability of public’s network to provide the necessary services undoubtedly contributes to the congestion of the system we’re currently witnessing. Also, home support services are much less expensive than long-term accommodation. The CSN also believes we must focus more on prevention and social services, particularly with regard to mental health. (J.L-B\IJL)

translated by Alec Brideau

L’article Emergencies Under Pressure est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

Those 120 workers are ensuring the proper functioning of ambulance services of the Montreal Metropolitan Community (MMC), in particular the maintenance of the ambulance fleet and the medical equipment on board the vehicles.

Their last salary increase dates back more than two years, as their collective agreement expired on March 31, 2020.

“After more than two years of negotiations, no one will tell us we’re not patient,” said via press release the president of the Syndicat du personnel de soutien d’Urgences-santé (CSN), Marc Dulude. “The employer says he has no other financial leeway to offer us except impoverishment. Yet, he finds a way to hire subcontractors at very high prices to do part of our work, instead of investing in working conditions to fill positions internally. We’re tired of this lack of respect.”

“The pre-hospital sector is a chain with many links, and they’re all important,” added in the press release the president of the CSN, Caroline Senneville. “Support staff is the perfect example. After each shift, they must prepare each ambulance for the next team of paramedics. If there’s a delay there, it affects the entire chain, and it ends up having an impact on the response time of paramedics with a citizen who needs help, and on the quality of services to the population. That’s why it’s so important to adequately recognize their work.

The Fédération de la santé et des services sociaux (FSSS–CSN) represents 3,600 workers in the pre-hospital sector throughout Quebec. (B.L.)

translated by Alec Brideau

L’article Strike week for Urgences-santé’s support staff est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.