The Fréchette government is reserving the right to veto the May 9 rollout of the Digital Health Record (DSN) — the health-care system’s controversial digital transformation — in two regions.
Two integrated university health and social services centres (CIUSSS) are set to launch a pilot project starting May 9 in the Mauricie region and northern Montreal, but health-care professionals have sounded the alarm due to several glitches.
In an interview with The Canadian Press on Tuesday, Health Minister Sonia Bélanger indicated that she may halt the pilot projects being led by the Santé Québec agency.
“I will be able to give the ‘go’ or ‘no go’ for the May 9 launch,” she said at the National Assembly’s Agora, on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony for the Fréchette government’s cabinet.
The Santé Québec agency has attempted to reassure the public regarding the progress of the DSN, yet the Parti Québécois (PQ) is calling for a pause and for Santé Québec to appear before a parliamentary committee.
“All professionals — whether doctors, respiratory therapists or various other groups — are telling us: ‘In my field, I see this as a major risk to the continuity of care and to people’s health,’” said PQ MNA Joël Arseneau during a press scrum at the National Assembly on Tuesday morning.
“We say we can’t take that risk,” he added.
According to him, it is necessary to take a step back and ask Santé Québec “where they stand, what the current state of affairs is, to address people’s concerns, and to tell us what the contingency plan is so we know where we’re headed.”
For its part, the Quebec Liberal Party (QLP) wants to establish three “winning conditions,” according to Liberal MNA Monsef Derraji.
Derraji is calling on the company responsible for the system to deploy more staff to assist users. Additionally, the QLP wants extra resources in help centres to manage IT issues.
Finally, the Liberals are calling for a “precise and clear” plan to resume surgeries that may be cancelled or delayed due to the rollout of the DSN.
“This stems from discussions I’ve had with health-care staff,” said Derraji.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
