The Legault government has finally found a solution to unlock the file of Maisonneuve-Rosemont (HMR) hospital and launch preparatory work this year. However, the news, deemed late, is welcomed with little enthusiasm.
The new scenario must be formalized on Wednesday during the meeting of the Council of Ministers, confirmed the minister of Health, Christian Dubé on Tuesday.
The site must start with the construction, opposite the hospital, of a parking lot, which will release space for the modernization of the hospital. A sum of $ 85 million has been released for this purpose.
No new sum has been released to release this investment which comes from the $ 3.6 billion envelope reserved for health in the Quebec infrastructure plan (PQI).
According to a source close to the file, Health Québec has recovered funds from several health projects that are under construction, but for which we plan to disable less money than expected this year.
“There is no one in happy”
The Legault government has faced constant pressure since the announcement of the project of the project after the budget is submitted. Tuesday morning, the three opposition parties in Parliament called the media to a press conference with the hospital representatives to challenge the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) again.
Despite the announcement of the release, the representatives of the hospital were anything but packaged.
“There is no one happy with the announcement of a parking lot. This morning’s news is showing off, “said the Dr Pierre Dubé who has been practicing for 30 years at HMR.
The opposition now fears that the construction of the parking lot is a smoke screen and that the site stagnates again once this stage is crossed.
“The worst scenario is a parking lot, no project, then more money,” said Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. The latter fears “that another government called to replace the CAQ” is “with parking, but not the money to make the hospital project”.
-Big bill so that the current hospital remains functional
The representatives of the hospital also point out that it will take long years before the project is carried out. However, by then, considerable sums will have to be invested in various renovations to remain functional.
The Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital has been in the headlines for months due to its alarming obsolescence. Last Tuesday, strong winds caused a major power failure and breakfast.
The Legault government has been promoting significant renovation work for years to HMR, but it has pushed the schedule by citing the budgetary situation and the needs that are felt elsewhere.
The project of the Arthabaska Hospital is eyebrow
In addition to HMR, the solution prepared by Minister Dubé plans to unlock another hospital project in Arthabaska, revealed The press mardi.
A news that has raised the opposition to Parliament since this hospital is in the constituency where a by -election is on the menu for the next few months.
“I’m happy for the people of Arthabaska, there, they need a hospital too, but why not Drummondville, which is roughly in the same state as Maisonneuve-Rosemont?” Why not Saint-Jérôme, who is also in a lamentable state? “Launched the deputy for Québec Solidaire Vincent Marissal. “The only difference between the three cases […]is that there is a partial in one of the constituencies. This is the only difference. »»
During the study of budgetary credits, the deputies asked the minister if it was an electoral choice. “We did not do any hospital projects for political reasons,” replied the minister.
The Arthabaska project consists in renovating the emergency and the operating room of the Victoriaville hospital. The site, estimated in total at $ 360.8 million, was returned to the realization stage, but no sum had been allocated to it this year. This is what the government is correcting by adding sums whose scale was not revealed on Tuesday.
Three other projects-of the houses of the elders (MDA)-are entitled to the same boost under the scenario that the Minister Dubé must present to the Council of Ministers: the MDA of the Islands-of-the-Madeleine and the conversion of the former CHSLDs to MDA of Palmarolle, to Abitibi-Témiscamingue, and Henri-Bradet, in Montreal.
With the Canadian press
