The Citizens Commission for Sustainable Healthcare in Témiscamingue, created in 2017, made the request in a letter to the Prime Minister of Quebec obtained by Radio Canada.

The call comes at a time when the health sector in the region is facing a major shortage of staff and frequent service interruptions.

The letter’s authors state that the central health network no longer meets the needs of the local population.

They point to the Barrette reform, which alienated CISSS-AT managers from local concerns and instead forced them to manage crises and frequent service failures.

This is not actually an accusation against CISSS-AT, but against the current healthcare system and the way it is built, and CISSS-AT is committed to dealing with the tools at its disposal. It is unable to fully respond to domestic realitiesexplains a spokesperson for the committee, retired physician Paul-Emile Barbeau.

Paul Emile Barbeau (archive)

Photo: Radio Canada / Tania Neveu

Since the 2015 reform that crippled the region in a brutal and uncontrollable centralization process, periods of exposure and major disruption have multiplied at a steady rate. Whether it is mental health, obstetrics or the range of services for seniors, the cuts don’t stop and the population is getting weakerwe read in the letter also sent to Quebec’s Minister of Health, Regional Minister Pierre Dufour, Rep. Emiles Lessard-Terrain and Executive Director of CISSS-AT.

Paul-Emile Barbeau points out that in the field of health, too, there are regional realities that must be respected in order to better serve the population.

We need governance that understands local realities so that we can act with local means to solve our problems in the most effective way in our lands. he adds.

The committee’s approach was supported by the MRC in Témiscamingue with a recently adopted resolution.

Warden Claire Bolduc reminds us that decentralizing health is also a request from MRC.

Local government is the management of the institution and also the board of directors surrounding itwhich defines the governor.

Claire Bolduc, Governor of Témiscamingue. (Archives)

Photo: Radio Canada / Tania Neveu

And remember, at the beginning of the year, Prime Minister François Legault pledged to reform Quebec’s health system.

” Ce qu’on a consstaté c’est que la grosseur de l’organisation du CISSS-AT, l’ampleur du travail que les personnes ont à assumedr leur permettent très difficilement d’être dans les actions quotidiennes, d’avoir un regard dans everyday activities. »

There is a distance from it all that is the decision-making body for daily activities, it takes a look and a daily presence and daily attention is very present on the field, felt by the difference to ensure that decisions are made as quickly as possible. This is what concerns us at the moment in the health network she adds.

The MRC also sent the decision to other MRCs for their support.