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<\/p>\nAbout 25 family doctors have already said they will be leaving Quebec’s public health-care system in response to Health Minister Christian Dub\u00e9’s special law, the federation representing the doctors told Radio-Canada Tuesday. <\/p>\n
Whether they’re leaving the province or the profession entirely is unclear, but what is clear is the growing frustration the Coalition Avenir Qu\u00e9bec government\u2019s Bill 2 continues to spark among health-care professionals. <\/p>\n
“Doctors are angry, they don’t know how else to say it to the government. It’s tragic what’s happening in Quebec currently,” said the president of the F\u00e9d\u00e9ration des m\u00e9decins omnipraticiens du Qu\u00e9bec (FMOQ), Dr. Marc-Andr\u00e9 Amyot.<\/p>\n
Now, the federation representing medical specialists in Quebec is filing a lawsuit Wednesday to challenge the law, its president, Dr. Vincent Oliva, announced Tuesday morning. The F\u00e9d\u00e9ration des m\u00e9decins sp\u00e9cialistes du Qu\u00e9bec (FMSQ) will also request a stay of execution, adding that the “violation of individual liberties” will be at the heart of its arguments.<\/p>\n
Last week, the FMOQ said it was considering doing the same. <\/p>\n
The bill, adopted early Saturday morning less than 24 hours after it was tabled, forces a new remuneration system on doctors, where a portion of their compensation will now be linked to performance targets relating to the number of patients, particularly vulnerable ones, they care for.<\/p>\n
“There is really great distress,” said Oliva, speaking at a news conference in Quebec City. “I’m ready to take responsibility for things that are under my control. I don’t control the organization of care…. What we’re saying is we need resources.”<\/p>\n
WATCH | What Bill 2 gets wrong, according to some doctors:<\/p>\n
Will Quebec\u2019s new law actually help patients see a doctor faster? Doctors say no<\/p>\n
Quebec\u2019s Bill 2 ties a portion of doctors\u2019 pay to collective performance targets, a measure that many doctors argue won\u2019t have the intended effect. They\u2019re also criticizing elements of the bill that could punish those who speak out or try to leave the province\u2019s public system. <\/p>\n
Dub\u00e9, for his part, is refusing to back down in the face of growing criticism, saying that his job is to “protect the patient.”<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are big changes that we’re asking them,” he said, referring to medical specialists. “I understand their reaction and that’s their right to [take] this legal procedure.”<\/p>\n
Globe and Mail health columnist Andr\u00e9 Picard says he’s not sure angering doctors will serve patients overall. He says the government should have sought co-operation rather than holding “a gun to people’s heads.” <\/p>\n
“Quebec has failed its negotiation. You know, there’s been four offers, they’ve all been very similar. The doctors have rejected them so you get back to the table and you have to figure it out,” he said.<\/p>\n
LISTEN | Breaking down Bill 2 for patients:<\/p>\n
Daybreak Montreal12:23What does Bill 2 mean for you, as a patient?<\/p>\n
The CAQ’s new bill will change how doctors are paid and levy fines on those who don’t follow the new system. Olivier Jacques, professor at the school of Public Health at Universit\u00e9 de Montreal, joins Daybreak’s Sean Henry to explain why the changes are causing so much consternation.<\/p>\n
Earlier on Tuesday, a group of medical specialists staged a protest outside the National Assembly, standing with tape over their mouths to symbolize the “gag” imposed on them by the government, as one protester described it.<\/p>\n
The CAQ invoked closure to rush the adoption of Bill 2, which allows it to end debate and force a vote. But the FMSQ argues the gag metaphor goes even further, saying the law creates a surveillance system where doctors can be reported if there’s a disruption in service. <\/p>\n