The FMOQ continue to oppose Bill 20

0
86

Arnaud de la Salle
 (t.r AB)

Mr. Louis Godin, President of the Federation of General Practitioners of Quebec, described Heatlth Minister Barette’s Bill 20 as, “A project worth of the Soviet era.”

Arnaud de la Salle
 (t.r AB)

Mr. Louis Godin, President of the Federation of General Practitioners of Quebec, described Heatlth Minister Barette’s Bill 20 as, “A project worth of the Soviet era.”
But when will it be voted on? There appears to be delay and some indecisiveness on the part of the deficit-slaying Couillard government in passing the Bill through legislation.
The Journal contacted  Pontiac’s Dr. John Wooton to ask whether he has received any additional information regarding the Bill from his federation.
“It is difficult for me to answer because negotiations between the Ministere de la sante et
des services sociaux and the FMOQ take place privately. Even members (like me) are not aware of the details,” explained Wooton.
Godin insists the FMOQ will do everything in their power to ensure that general practitioners have a work environment and conditions which allow them to optimize their talents, knowledge, etc., for the benefit of their patients.
He added: “These are the values we defend, and will continue to defend. We condemn and continue to reject any coercive approaches. This approach, which will never work and will never offer positive results, is unfortunately the choice of the government, including the Minister of Health.” 
According to Dr. Wooton, physicians
represented by the FMOQ do not seek “to amend
Bill 20, but to impose their own solutions.” He adds that the biggest and most important disagreement is in regards to the imposition of quotas. “There are many situations where it is impossible to see 20 patients a day, five days a week
(complex cases, other
medical task to do, legitimate part-time work), and
physicians find it unfair that they will suffer penalties for not achieved their ‘quota’.”