$53 million pledged for new hospital beds, to hire staff

Recycling an announcement made in December, Health Minister Gaétan Barrette declared on Monday the government will invest $53 million in the Montreal region to free up short-term-stay beds in hospitals and to hire more than 350 nurses and orderlies to work in public nursing homes.

Monday’s announcement follows one made in December when Barrette said the government would be investing $100 million across the province to add more beds in hospitals for patients waiting to be transferred to nursing homes, rehab centres and convalescent facilities. Of that sum, Barrette said on Monday, $53 million will be invested in the Montreal region.

“In the last few months, we have multiplied our initiatives to make sure that each person receives the best service at the best place, according to the state of their health,” Barrette told a news conference.

However, patient-rights advocates were not impressed.

“There are no (funds for) new long-term facility beds,” said Paul Brunet, executive director of the Conseil pour la protection des malades. “By adding more resources (to hospitals), we will not be able to admit more patients to long-term facilities. There are nearly 5,000 people already waiting to get into them.”

Brunet criticized the government for finding the funds to build a “luxury” $91-million prison in Sept-Îles — complete with largescreen TVs and personal headphones for each inmate — yet it doesn’t have sufficient funds for long-term care. “Prisoners seem to be more important than our elders,” Brunet said.

The Health Department will spend $35.4 million to free up 700 short-term beds, and $17.6 million to hire 354 staff for long-term care centres, known in French as CHSLDs. The staff will be deployed equally throughout Montreal Island.

Monday’s announcement followed the news on Sunday that the government will hire 2,000 nurse practitioners by 2025, reaffirming a promise Barrette made during the 2014 provincial election campaign. In order to accomplish the goal, the government is increasing enrolment in nursing programs.

The province’s largest nurses’ federation reacted positively to Barrette’s Sunday announcement, but complained working conditions for nurse practitioners are far from ideal 12 years after the positions were created. Nurse practitioners — also known as super nurses — are allowed to prescribe certain medications and interpret some diagnostic tests, reflecting their additional training.

“We’re rejoicing, but not too much,” said Nancy Bédard, vicepresident of the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ).

“We’re going to wait for the results, because with this government there have been ... missed opportunities and disappointments.”