Quebec signing more contracts with private clinics to help clear surgery waitlists

The Quebec government willrampup its use of private clinics in the coming months to reduce the 140,000-strong waiting list for surgeries.

In an interview with Radio-Canada's Tljournal on Wednesday,Quebec Health MinisterChristian Dubsaidworking with the private sector was part of the solution to handle the waiting lists, which have grown as health-care resources have been reassigned tocontend with COVID-19 cases.

Dubsaid the government has signed around 20 contracts with private clinics in the past six months. He said the number of people waiting for surgeries in the Montreal areawould be 10 per cent higher without those agreements.

"We are going to sign even more agreements with the private sector to be able to do even more," he said.

Radio-Canada has learned that 20,500 surgeries have already been performed since June through agreements signed with specialized medical clinics.

According to data obtained from the Ministry of Health and Social Services, without the private sector contracts, a region like Laval would have delayed76 per cent of surgeries instead of31 per cent.

Private clinics have had a similar impact in the Montrgie, where the ministryhas just signed two agreements worth over $18 million for eye operations and day surgeries.

A review by Radio-Canada has foundthe total of the ministry'scontracts exceeds $100 million.

500 patients had operations at Laurentians clinic

At the regional public health agency for the Laurentians,officialshope to reduce delayed surgeries to less than 40 per centover the next few weeks.

"We've called on the services of a specialized medical clinic since last September," said Myriam Sabourin, assistant to the head of the agency. "About 500 patients have been able to have operations there."

Sabourinsaidthat a second similar deal was reached this week.

In the Lanaudire region, the public health agency has no agreement with the private sector despite56 per cent of surgeries being delayed.

Using private sector services should be the subject of public debate, said Dr. Isabelle Leblanc, president of Mdecins qubcois pour le rgime public, a public health advocacy group.

"Yes, in the current situation, in a time of a pandemic with delayed surgeries, I think we must use all means possible and imaginableso that all patients who need care have it," she said.

"But I think we can question the way they havechosen to subcontract to for-profit companiesto provide care to patients that we should be able to treat in the public system."