Sad news for the citizens of Centre-du-Québec since the Fortierville emergency room will be closed on weekends starting Saturday, October 5.
The planned departure of two doctors could not be filled.
“I find it very difficult to accept,” immediately mentions the mayor of Fortierville, Julie Pressé, who is one of those who have been mobilizing for five years to avoid service reductions.
“The emergency here in Fortierville is important, everyone cares about it,” expresses Fortierville resident Ronald Lemay.
He says he appreciates not only the proximity of care, but also the reduced waiting time.
With weekend closures, patients will have to go either to Quebec, Victoriaville, Drummondville or Trois-Rivières: emergencies which are more than an hour away.
The loss of local services saddens the general director of the organization La Cle de la Galerie, which supports around a hundred families in the MRC of Bécancour.
“It’s certain that it will have a big impact for our families as well as all the surrounding municipalities,” says Sandra Bouffard.
Emergency doctors as backup?
The CIUSS Mauricie-Centre-du-Québec asked the Ministry of Health and Social Services to have access to emergency doctors to maintain its emergency services.
“This is a request for an exemption since the emergency department does not have access to it, considering that it is not open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have already made these requests in the past. Unfortunately, it was refused,” specifies Dr. Olivier Roy, director of professional services and clinical relevance at the CIUSSS MCQ.
Nicolet-Bécancour MP Donald Martel approves this request.
“I will support all efforts to ensure that there are doctors there. If it’s a repair doctor. I have already spoken to the minister, but it is certain that the Federation of Physicians also has a say,” he emphasizes.
The mayor of Fortierville promises to continue efforts with the Recruitment and Retention Committee for Health Professionals set up 18 months ago.
“It’s not just Fortierville. It’s a whole region. We need help from emergency doctors, we need doctors from elsewhere because we will unclog their emergency rooms too,” says Julie Pressé.
A new resource will also be added to these procedures in the coming weeks. The MRC of Bécancour has released the necessary money to hire a person who will devote full time to the hiring and retention of healthy people. The position must open eminently.
