Richard Romain stands beside a condolence card and black wreath that was presented to Andre Fortin in light of the ‘death’ of the CSSSP.
Lisa Boisvert
SHAWVILLE – The Pontiac community mourned the death of the Centre de Santé et de
Richard Romain stands beside a condolence card and black wreath that was presented to Andre Fortin in light of the ‘death’ of the CSSSP.
Lisa Boisvert
SHAWVILLE – The Pontiac community mourned the death of the Centre de Santé et de
services sociaux du Pontiac at the Pontiac Community Hospital, April 1; Bill 10 eliminated 19 healthcare positions in the Pontiac when the CSSSP became integrated into the Centre intégré de santé et de
services sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO). Richard Romain, former CSSSP Grievance Officer, stood inside the hospital’s doors encouraging the public and hospital staff to sign a condolence card that was delivered to Pontiac MNA Andre Fortin along with a wreath of black flowers.
“’Je me Souviens’ means more now than it ever has,” said Romain. “We will not forget this. Losing one job in the Pontiac is too many. Who will invest in a dying community because of
government cutbacks? The government wants to
amalgamate our unions; if we don’t take a stand for our community, we will lose many more jobs,” he
continued.
Shawville’s Dr. Thomas O’Neill was equally
outraged with the elimination of the CSSSP. “I am proud to be a Pontiacer, a Quebecer, and a Canadian, but I’m not proud to be led by the Liberals,” he said. “One of the most important employers in the Pontiac is our healthcare system. We are the only hospital out of six that balanced our budget because of an outstanding administrator; we are known as having the ‘Cadillac of services’. If we are such a great example, why are the people of the Pontiac losing their jobs?” he continued.
Romain highlighted the stress the government
cutbacks have placed on employees: “Hard working people woke up this morning and came to work without a title … not knowing if they are safe. The stress it has put on employees, who already have demanding jobs, is not right.”
“The next to come is Bill 20,” warned Dr. O’Neill. The Liberal government’s Bill 20 will impose minimum caseloads for family doctors and specialists — some doctors will need to see more patients or face penalties if they don’t. “Our doctors multi-task daily and that is what makes them great; that is why we are number one. Forcing them to choose
one profession – either
obstetrics, ER, GP, etc. – will not work in a rural area – maybe in the big cities, but not here,” he continued.
“What took a stroke of
a pen will take years
to repair,” concluded Romain.
