Two years after opening a temporary local service point (PSL), we inaugurated, a few days ago, the new ultra-modern PSL of Saint-Félicien, on Boulevard du Sacré-Cœur, in the same building as Sports Experts.
“The big winner is the population. We don’t feel like we’re entering a hospital. The location is well located, the floor space is large and users benefit from ample parking. We offer services adapted to people’s needs. In addition, the people who work here have a smile on their faces because they love what they do,” comments Dr. Donald Aubin, regional director of public health in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, present during the inauguration, last Thursday, October 31.
For Mayor Luc Gibbons, who recalls that Saint-Félicien is the most popular city in the MRC of Domaine-du-Roy, there is no doubt that the citizens of his municipality and surrounding municipalities needed a PSL.
“During COVID I wondered why we did not have a vaccination center in Saint-Félicien. That’s when I started pushing to fix it. Subsequently, the CIUSSS put itself in solution mode and we now feel more listened to. This is just the beginning. Our population needs local services,” he commented.
A nice working atmosphere
The work team working at the PSL in Saint-Félicien, but also in Roberval, is made up of 32 people.
“The majority of people who work there are retirees who agree to return to work with a schedule adjusted to their wishes. I say that I build traps for them to keep them,” explains Louise Ménard, head of department of the PSL of Saint-Félicien and Roberval, with a sneer.
“The entire service offering from local service points (PSL) in Quebec is based on the involvement of retirees. It’s a way of adding services because we’re adding labor to the network. What we want above all is for people to have fun working with us while pursuing their original mission. They get conditions to stay with us. I take my hat off to them,” she adds.
Revealing statistics
The PSL is open two days a week, Tuesday and Thursday, for samples. 220 samples were taken during this period. As for vaccination, we operate, with a variable schedule, at maximum capacity, with 230 appointments for each day we offer this service. Generally, the majority receive two vaccines, one for COVID and the other for seasonal flu.
This avoids more than 600 trips to Roberval Hospital each week. The majority of people who need these services previously had to take time off work, not forgetting the elderly who no longer have to make a long commute.
