Quebec Liberal candidate and Health Minister Philippe Couillard says throwing more money at hospitals won't solve acute overcrowding reported in recent months.
In an interview Thursday with Radio-Canada, Couillard admitted this past year has been particularly bad for emergency room overcrowding — but said the solution won't be found in bigger budgets for health centres.
Couillard was responding to Montreal doctors who demanded Wednesday that political parties formulate concrete measures to clear out clogged hospital emergency rooms.
Montreal hospitals in particular have been extremely crowded this winter, with several operating ERs at 150 to 200 per cent capacity.
ER physician Bernard Mathieu said in the short term, doctors are asking the province to allow "patients waiting for beds [to] move up to wards, even if the wards are full."
Montreal hospitals also need more home-care resources and better alternatives to hospital stays, to take the pressure off ERs, Mathieu said.
Couillard agreed that the health-care system needs to be diversified, but he said increasing budgets won't necessarily make that happen.
Parallel health services such as family physician clinics have to be nurtured and encouraged to see patients who would otherwise end up at the ER, Couillard said.
Hospital staff also need to agree amongst themselves to improve intake practices, he said.
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| Party | Elected | Leading | Total | Vote Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIB | 48 | 0 | 48 | 33.08% |
| ADQ | 41 | 0 | 41 | 30.80% |
| PQ | 36 | 0 | 36 | 28.32% |
| QS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.65% |
| GRN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.89% |
| OTH | 0 | 0 | 0 | .26% |
| Last Update:March 27, 12:52:21 AM EDT | ||||
Quebec Votes 2007 Headlines »
- Que. Liberals take minority win with grain of salt
- Quebec Premier Jean Charest said he'll build bridges with the Parti Québécois and the Action Démocratique du Québec to ensure a stable minority government.
- Dumont will work with Quebec Premier Charest
- Quebec's new Opposition Leader Mario Dumont said he wants stability at the national assembly and pledged to work with the Liberal minority government on a case-by-case basis.
- Boisclair remains at helm after PQ finishes 3rd
- André Boisclair is staying on as leader of the Parti Québécois and vowed to help rebuild the fractured party after it suffered major losses in Monday's provincial election.
- Quebec election result 'good news' for Canada: PM
- Stephen Harper says voters in the Quebec election have used their ballots to reject calls for another referendum in a "great result" for Canada.
- Charest keeps seat as Liberals cling to power in Quebec
- Quebecers are waking up to a minority Liberal government — the first minority in the province in 130 years — and a new official Opposition.