Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has announced plans to eliminate Santé Québec if his party wins the election. The statement was made in front of Montreal’s Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital with PQ candidates present.
St-Pierre Plamondon emphasized the importance of focusing the government on essential tasks, such as providing healthcare to citizens who contribute through taxes. He proposed dismantling Santé Québec to redirect resources towards direct patient care, specifically enhancing frontline services like local health clinics (CLSCs) and reducing surgical wait times.
The Parti Québécois leader criticized Santé Québec as a failed initiative by the Coalition Avenir Québec government, labeling it a bureaucratic burden that requires reining in and oversight. He highlighted a significant increase in Santé Québec’s workforce from 760 to 1,300 employees in just two years.
Health Minister Sonia Bélanger pushed back against St-Pierre Plamondon’s proposal, dismissing it as overly simplistic. She defended Santé Québec, citing its recent achievements in streamlining operations, consolidating structures, promoting workforce mobility, and sharing best practices to enhance local healthcare services.