Let us recall the facts: the Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospitals of Montreal and Hôtel-Dieu d’Arthabaska in Victoriaville have been seen, in the last hours, to release the funds to launch or continue the major repair work.
Recent bad weather caused significant damage to Maisonneuve-Rosemont, which attracted the attention of the media from all over the province to this hospital, which was often the headlines for its dilapidation.
It strangely recalls the Sainte-Croix Hospital in Drummondville, right?
According to information from The pressonly in Montreal, we unlock $ 85 million from the 19 billion planned at the Quebec infrastructure plan (PQI) in order to launch the first phase of the work, suggesting that other projects registered at the plan will be revised or postponed in order to respond to the urgency of the situation in this hospital which serves nearly 500,000 people.
In total, $ 190 million will be redeveloped in the PQI envelope, making it possible to maintain the activities of project offices which will be able to continue the planning of around thirty projects. It is a major reversal for several regions.
By -election
At the Hôtel-Dieu d’Arthabaska, this is obviously excellent news, when the work started on the ice, as in several other regions of Quebec. Excellent news for the establishment, of course, but first and foremost for the entire population of Victoriaville and the surrounding area.
But difficult not to make a link between the announcement affecting the Hôtel-Dieu d’Arthabaska … and the obvious very tight race which promises to be in the by-election made necessary by the departure of Eric Lefebvre. A three race between the CAQ, the PQ and the PCQ stands on the way, with the very recent announcement of the candidacy of the leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec, Éric Duhaime.
Éric Lefebvre won the election in Richmond-Arthabaska. (Ariane Aubert Bonne/Archives)
Obviously, in government, we will never make this link. We will support the importance and the urgency of intervening. Either! And at the risk of repeating myself, what a wonderful news for the people of Victoriaville and the surroundings!
However, not far from there, in Drummondville, it has been a long time since the urgency of the situation has also been demonstrated. We have been carrying a dilapidated hospital for a long time, crossing my fingers every day so that a drama does not play there.
It is to wonder if, to overcome the problems that prevail between the walls of the Sainte-Croix Hospital in Drummondville, it would not have taken us a by-election …
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Okay, it’s a little cynical. But it is clear that the developments that have occurred in the past hours in the health sector in Quebec have enough to make teeth cringe in this part of Center-du-Québec.
Clearly, Drummondville will still have to wait. Despite the imposing mobilization. Despite the dilapidation of the premises, water damage, bats, emanations, narrowness of the premises. Despite, despite, despite …
No later than Monday, a report by Radio-Canada demonstrated the similarities between Sainte-Croix in Drummondville and Maisonneuve-Rosemont in Montreal. While the journalist questioned the representative of the CIUSSS-MCQ on these problems, a “Turquoise code” was launched.
This code, it has been invented in Drummondville for a few months to give the alert when a water damage occurs. It can’t be invented!
Coincidence?
The presence of Eric Duhaime on the upcoming voting bulletin in Arthabaska, visibly, disturbs the CAQ and raises fears for this seat which was acquired, until 2024, when the deputy Éric Lefebvre chose to sit as independent. We now know that he was elected under the conservative banner to the federalty last week.
The presence of Eric Duhaime on the upcoming voting bulletin in Arthabaska, obviously, disturbs the CAQ. (Edouard Plante-Fréchette/Archives La Presse)
Hostilities have already been launched both by the Parti Québécois and by the Conservatives, and the visibility which a party leader benefits always adds to the equation.
Difficult not to see a great coincidence with the information broadcast on Tuesday morning. Minister Christian Dubé repeats it: the CAQ will not do politics with that.
If he says …
There is still something delightful in these new unlocked funds: the demonstration that in emergency situations, we are able to play inside the envelopes planned to put priorities in the right places.
You should not just wait a disaster before carrying out the same exercise in other hospitals in the province, including that of Drummondville.
