Death while waiting for ambulance: shock and dismay for parents

Following the statementInvestigation The parents of Hugo St-Ong, who died while waiting for help in 2017, were not reassured by a statement from the Quebec government about persistent deficiencies in ambulance services. The health minister’s promises actually make them more demanding.

In an emailed statement to Radio-Canada, Health and Social Services Minister Christian Dubey’s office confirmed the action plan will be tabled soon. Let’s look at a set of concrete and measurable steps that show how we’re going to achieve the goals.

gold, Investigation The government revealed on Thursday CAQ A trained ambulance driver and nurse and distinguished senior civil servant, Michael C. He himself had an action plan in hand for 2019 from Torrey.

In an interview on the show Afternoon will be even betterHost Guillaume Dumas told host Guillaume Dumas that Bruno St-Onge and Johanne Lapointe were shocked and appalled when they saw the report that a plan to reform the ambulance system had been tabled in the wake of their son’s death.

Since 30 years of consultation, reports have been written and published […] They are deposited, they are tabletedMrs. Lapointe was furious. We start another series of consultations, we write a report, same thing.

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In December 2017, their son Hugo St-Onge, an ambulance driver, died while waiting for an ambulance in Lévis. Although a damning coroner’s report concluded his death was avoidable and had a series of recommendations, nothing was done. Almost six years later, things have really changed.

This should be done, there are three or four statements and they all have “urgency to act” in their title. It’s been 30 years!

In its message to us, the company added: We were the first government to implement major changes in the pre-hospital system. However, it does not specify the measures used.

The statement from Christian Dubey’s office did not reassure Hugo’s father, Bruno St-Ong.

This should translate into service to the people. […] Quick action to intervene in emergency situations. Will his plan, as yet unknown to us, meet this need?He asks himself.

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By looking at the statementInvestigation He says he realizes the scale of the problem. Provincial dimension and systemic dimension of the problem. There are issues of funding, accountability and performance management. We don’t know all these indicators. We don’t understand how it works.

We don’t put [les citoyens qui ont besoin d’aide] At the heart of our thinking, our interventions. That’s what hurts.

Johanne Lapointe would like to add: We must always remember that it is the ministry that created this system. He allowed the organization to run without interference. [un système] We let it go.

The reform was abandoned

We have a clear vision for the prehospital sector and, for the first time in decades, we have the political will to do what is necessary to improve access for Quebecers.Minister’s office assures.

Apart from the deep reform that was promised CAQ In 2019, no more. Health and Social Services Minister Christian Dubey admitted last spring that it was not his priority.

However, Mr. Dube’s office said that in 2020, Govt Problems cannot be solved piecemeal He also plans to reform emergency pre-hospital services.

Consider one day [une réforme du préhospitalier]? […] Let us tell you when we will finish Bill 15. […] All that is not closedThe minister introduced Dubé, who was questioned by PQ MP Joel Arseneau during an inquiry into the loans.

He said he would have liked it Go further in the pre-hospital areaDuring the first hearings Bill 15 aimed to make the health system more efficient. We already had 1000 legal articles so we had to make choices.

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The Minister’s Office also wishes to clarify that it has received A huge success that no other government has achieved Thanks to an agreement reached last summer with the ambulance companies that goes into effect this Sunday.

We have set several conditions such as now having access to complete financial statements of all companies. We have also included significant financial penalties for companies that do not deliver every hour under the contract. This is the first.

However, as revealed Investigation On Thursday, verification mechanisms were already in place in earlier contracts, but the ministry did not carry out regular monitoring and fined companies.

Hugo’s Quest

Johan Lapointe says he learned a lot from the report. I thought we dug in a lot, but I realized I wasn’t fast enough for my part.

She and Hugo’s father, Bruno St-Onge, want to continue the search for their dead son, condemned as an ambulance driver.

We have to keep standing up and keep demanding better services. It is aimed at decision makers, the government, the minister of health and then the minister responsible for the regionJohan Lapointe says.

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Bruno St-Onge wants to make sure this kind of situation doesn’t happen again. This is our deepest desire. It’s about making sure another family takes steps to avoid finding themselves in this situation.

Affirmations and Amendments

In the minister’s office, Mr. We say we sympathize with what St-Ong’s family is going through, adding: In Lewes, we have added 184 hours of ambulance services per week since 2018. This equates to one more ambulance in 2018 and another 16 hours of service in 2020.

Johanne Lapointe would like to edit: Based on the coroner’s recommendation, an ambulance was called. This is not true. She asks for an ambulance in addition to the ambulance in 2018.

The addition, which the CAQ refers to, was announced in March 2018 by the then Liberal government as part of a broader announcement affecting several cities, months after the death of Hugo St-Onge. This service addition was planned before the tragic events.

Finally, with regard to the 16 hours of services added to the Levies in 2020, it has been indicated by the Minister’s office that this is a temporary addition, which must be renewed every year.