The disparity in medical resource distribution between urban and rural areas is a concern raised by the Fédération québécoise des coopératives de santé (FQCS). In a recent submission for pre-budget consultations, the FQCS urged the government to address this issue.
The FQCS outlined five recommendations in its proposal, emphasizing the need for Quebec to ensure a fairer allocation of medical resources that consider regional demands and the vital role of cooperatives in upholding local healthcare services.
Health cooperatives, operated on a non-profit basis and overseen by citizen members of the FQCS, function akin to clinics and play a crucial role in delivering primary healthcare services, particularly in underserved rural and peri-urban regions.
These health services are delivered by over 280 physicians, predominantly general practitioners, nearly 160 nurses, and around 40 other healthcare professionals, collectively catering to approximately 300,000 patients.
François Allaire, the director of the FQCS, highlighted the importance of prioritizing medical resource allocation, especially in areas facing doctor shortages, managed by territorial departments of family medicine (DTMF).
Allaire advocated for the recognition of health cooperatives as special medical assignments, alongside family doctors’ existing responsibilities like care in CHSLDs or emergency rooms, known as special medical activities (AMP).
Moreover, the FQCS proposed a funding program to support health cooperatives in executing their mission, encompassing infrastructure, human resources, and the organization of curative and preventive health services, akin to the Community Organization Support Program.
The FQCS estimated a government contribution of $2.48 million, equivalent to 15% of its operational expenses, would be necessary to sustain the health cooperatives’ operations, projecting total annual costs for all cooperatives to reach $16.5 million by 2025.
