Of French origin, Dr. Hazan landed by Outaouais at the very beginning of the pandemic, in the spring of 2020. His status as a foreign doctor required a practice for five years in the public network, a period which has just ended.
For the past two years, he had only practiced as an urgentologist, both in the urgency of the Papineau hospital and that of the CLSC of Saint-André-Avellin.
Last year, the omnipratician began discussions with the SSMT private clinic in order to be hired. The objective of the Gatinoise clinic was to have a doctor who can make consultations for minor emergencies, but also to train and support two specialized practitioner nurses.
Health Quebec opposes it. “I find myself taking hostage,” said Dr. Hazan. If the authorities’ decision does not change, it will simply go elsewhere.
“I will no longer work in Quebec, it’s clear. I have a contact with a head doctor from Canadian forces and I know they are looking for civilian doctors. ”
— Dr. Stéphane Hazan
He also knows that the Montfort hospital in Ottawa is looking for doctors. His other option: the French territory of Guadeloupe, where he could go to work for a week in time, a question of having income.
Father of four children and resident of Gatineau, he was fed up with the 80 km of road to the Petite-Nation and wishes a more stable schedule, free from night work.
Resignation in April
Dr. Hazan resigned at the Outaouais Integrated Health and Social Services Center (Cissso) on April 17, in anticipation of an entry into force on June 30.
Bill 83, which was adopted on April 24, came to upset everything. The legislative play grants a discretionary power in Health Québec to accept or refuse the requests of doctors who no longer wish to be “participants” in the Quebec Health Insurance Régie. This provision is retroactive on April 1.
Despite the resignation given in April, Health Quebec refused that Dr. Hazan will leave the public. The Crown Company pleads, among other things, that thousands of residents of the Outaouais are orphaned patients and that emergencies overflow. According to the most recent ministerial data, more than 19,000 residents of the Outaouais are registered at the access counter to obtain a family doctor.
In his decision, Health Québec maintains that Dr. Hazan’s departure of the public regime “would have an impact on the accessibility of care offered in the Outaouais territory”.
“This territory faces glaring needs in the majority of spheres of family medicine, especially in terms of care. In addition, your withdrawal of the public regime would seriously compromise the capacity of the territory to meet the constant demand, in particular with regard to access to a family doctor. ”
— Extract from the Quebec Health Decision
No care
The Quebec health lawyer, Rosalie Jalbert, said that even if the quarters of work in the emergency room of the Petite-Nation are filled for the whole summer, Dr. Hazan would have the opportunity to work elsewhere in the public network. She also pointed out that in counting patients who are not registered at the access counter, the Outaouais has nearly 120,000 patients without a regular family doctor. According to the dashboard of the Ministry of Health, just over half of these orphaned patients are still registered with a group of doctors – which is called collective management.
Dr. Hazan’s lawyer Suzie Cloutier, said that with his post as an urgentologist, he did not ensure any care of patients as a family doctor. Two “new doctors” have also agreed to take quarter -work in the emergency room where Dr. Hazan worked, so that no service break is expected in the summer schedule.
Me Cloutier believes that the particular circumstances in the case of Dr. Hazan have not been sufficiently considered by Health Québec, since whatever happens, he has no intention of reworking in the Quebec public network. “In any case, Quebec loses a doctor,” said the lawyer.
The latter represents other doctors, moreover, in Quebec having submitted requests for non-participation to the RAMQ, since the entry into force of the new law. She claims that “several” requests have been accepted, but that there was also “a lot” of refusal. “I did not see a letter [de refus] Where we saw individualized reasons for the doctors in question, ”deplores Me Cloutier.
Over 300 requests
Health Quebec has told COOPS of information that since the retroactive entry into force of the law, a total of 305 requests for non-participation in the RAMQ have been received.
Doctors specialists have submitted most of these requests. Out of 260 requests, 220 have been accepted, while 12 are still “in treatment”.
On the side of family doctors, out of a total of 45 files, Health Quebec has not accepted any requests so far. Seven “final refusals” were transmitted to omnipractians, while 24 others received a “refusal notice”. Four requests have been deemed inadmissible and the other ten are still in treatment.
Imminent decision
Dr. Hazan submitted a request for provisional interlocutory injunction to the Superior Court, in the hope of being able to practice in private for 10 days, up to an audience for a longer -lasting injunction before a trial on the merits.
Judge Jean Faullem took the cause under deliberation, indicating that his decision would possibly be rendered by the end of the week, otherwise next Monday.
The survival of the risk clinic
Co -owner of the SSMT medical clinic, Françoise Houle indicated that the very survival of the company is in danger, without a doctor. She explains that the role of specialized practitioner nurses is relatively new in Quebec, so these professionals wish to be able to rely on a doctor if necessary.
Ms. Houle adds that every day, the private clinic must redirect patients to other resources, including the emergency rooms in the region.
