Beginning of work on Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital | The government has given in to public pressure, but that doesn’t tackle the root of the problem - Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec

Beginning of work on Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital | The government has given in to public pressure, but that doesn’t tackle the root of the problem

Quebec City, 6 May 2025 – The Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec–FIQ has taken stock of the Legault government’s announcement to unblock funds to start work at the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital. It is long overdue. But just like one swallow doesn’t make a summer, a parking lot does not make a hospital. Just because the CAQ is unlocking the first few million dollars doesn’t mean the real problem is solved.

“It’s not normal that it took images of exploding windows and leaking ceilings, followed by a real threat to the safety of healthcare professionals and patients, for the government to wake up, said Julie Bouchard, FIQ President. The government’s response, while late, was inevitable given the widespread indignation and public pressure.

As the FIQ sees it, today’s announced gesture doesn’t solve anything in the long term if the government is going to continue ignoring healthcare professionals’ legitimate demands for humane working conditions and recognition for their expertise.

“Backhoes aren’t going to retain healthcare professionals. As long as we keep burning them out and failing to show them respect, we will lose them. It’s that simple. Walls are important, but walls don’t treat people. If we want people to work there and stay on, then it has to become an attractive, respectful place, where one can perform their profession in humane conditions,” added Ms. Bouchard.

The Federation has also noted the very political timing of some announcements. With an upcoming byelection in Victoriaville, suddenly the renovations at the Hôtel-Dieu d’Arthabaska Hospital are back on track. “It’s not the state of the walls determining the government’s priorities, it’s their electoral agenda. And that is deeply concerning,” said Julie Bouchard.

The FIQ would like to point out that Maisonneuve-Rosemont is just the tip of the iceberg. A lot of healthcare infrastructure in Qubec is decrepit, inadequate, or dangerously undersized: Hôtel-Dieu d’Arthabaska, Mont‑Laurier ERs, hospitals in La Malbaie and Sept-Îles, modernization projects in Gatineau, in Lanaudière, in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean… the list goes on. The FIQ is calling on the government to take a two-pronged approach: modernize infrastructure and demonstrate true recognition of healthcare professionals.

“These are not luxury projects. It’s the bare minimum for treating people in safe, humane conditions. Teams are doing what they can with what they have, but sometimes it’s just indecent. Health care cannot be planned like an election campaign. What is needed is a comprehensive vision, clear timelines and, above all, respect for the teams that keep the network running,” concluded the president.

About the FIQ

The FIQ represents over 80,000 nurses, licensed practical nurses, respiratory therapists and clinical perfusionists who work in healthcare institutions province wide. It is a feminist organization with a nearly 90% female membership, dedicated to defending its members and patients in the public health network.