The recent decision by the Quebec government to abolish over 700 healthcare
positions and impose $90 million in cuts to healthcare funding in the Outaouais region is deeply concerning. Action Santé Outaouais (ASO) urges the immediate cancellation of these cuts and calls for an end to the chronic underfunding of our regional healthcare system, which faces an annual shortfall of at least $200 million.
The budget austerity measures implemented by Santé Québec, established on December 1, 2024, aim to cut over a billion dollars in provincial healthcare funding. For the Outaouais, this translates into a damaging $90 million reduction, worsening an already critical situation. Historically underfunded, our region will now suffer doubly. Why does the Quebec government persist in fueling this vicious cycle of underfunding, staffing shortages, and systemic deterioration in our public healthcare?
Funding for essential public services does exist. Between 2018 and 2023, successive Quebec governments forfeited more than $6 billion through tax cuts and tax credits. In 2021 alone, the current government distributed $7.1 billion in direct payments to citizens and plans additional tax cuts totaling $9.2 billion from 2023 to 2028. These political decisions seriously undermine public service financing, perpetuating chronic healthcare crises inour region.
The solutions for the Outaouais are clear: annual reinvestment of at least $200 million and the establishment of a regional healthcare workforce strategy. ASO proposes forming an intersectoral consultation committee within CISSS Outaouais, specifically tasked with developing a long-term plan to attract, retain, and train healthcare workers locally. This strategy must include clear recruitment, retention, and training goals, with defined timelines across all healthcare personnel categories.
The Quebec government must act decisively to end the inequities harming our region and to protect the health rights of Outaouais residents. Our community deserves better, and immediate action is required to safeguard our public healthcare system.
Mathieu Charbonneau
Director, Action Santé Outaouais
Gatineau
Ed. & trans.
Published in the Pontiac Journal on March 26, 2025.
