The Outaouais is facing a medical crisis of historic proportions. A survey by the Association des médecins omnipraticiens de l’Ouest du Québec (AMOOQ) shows that 33 family doctors have already decided to leave or change their practice because of Bill 106, and more than half of their colleagues are considering doing the same. In a region that is already underfunded, this would be catastrophic for tens of thousands of patients.
Even senior physicians such as Dr. Joseph Youssef, head of service at the CISSS de l’Outaouais, have begun the process of seeking licences to practise in Ontario. Doctors there are valued, while here they face a climate of denigration and a chronic lack of resources.
No other part of Quebec faces the unique reality of the Outaouais, where a physician can simply cross a bridge each day to work under another jurisdiction. This border reality makes our region especially vulnerable. As long as Quebec treats us like any other region, we will continue to lose our doctors and health professionals.
This exodus is not only about salaries. It is compounded by unbearable wait times, the exhaustion of health-care teams and a severe shortage of specialized resources. The result is a vicious cycle that weakens frontline care and overloads our emergency rooms, to the direct detriment of patients. Already, more than 112,000 people — over a quarter of the population — are waiting for a family doctor. The Outaouais cannot afford to lose a single physician.
That is why we are calling on the government to recognize our border reality, correct the historic underfunding of our region, and revise Bill 106 so it does not trigger an irreversible exodus. Each doctor who leaves further undermines a health-care system already at the breaking point. If nothing is done, it is the entire population of the Outaouais that will pay the price. (Trans.)
Jean Pigeon
Spokesperson, SOS Outaouais
Published in the Pontiac Journal on September 24, 2025.
