{"id":13250,"date":"2026-08-31T08:42:21","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T12:42:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fiqsante.qc.ca\/?p=13250"},"modified":"2026-08-31T10:40:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T14:40:56","slug":"can-we-improve-the-healthcare-system-overnight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fiqsante.qc.ca\/en\/can-we-improve-the-healthcare-system-overnight\/","title":{"rendered":"Can we improve the healthcare system overnight?"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Can we improve the healthcare system overnight?<\/span> <\/i><\/h1>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]All political parties say they want to improve healthcare access in Quebec, but the necessary funds must be invested to achieve this goal. It won\u2019t happen overnight: decision-makers have to make the appropriate budget decisions![\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]\"\"[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_message message_box_color=”sky” css=””]<\/p>\n

Some data on Quebec\u2019s healthcare budget<\/h4>\n

The health budget stands at $68B,<\/strong> which includes the MSSS, Sant\u00e9 Qu\u00e9bec, RAMQ, H\u00e9ma-Qu\u00e9bec, INSPQ, INESSS and Urgences-sant\u00e9.<\/p>\n

In 2025, public sector healthcare spending amounted to $<\/strong>6,786\u00a0per person.<\/strong>[1]<\/a> It is one of the lowest amounts in Canada. For example, in British Columbia, spending amounted to $7,570 per person.<\/p>\n

Between $<\/strong>9,000 and $17,000 <\/strong>is the cost of antenatal care and delivery without complications.<\/p>\n

Private companies can make an estimated 10% to 15%<\/strong> profits from their healthcare contracts with the government. It is difficult to evaluate the total value of these public contracts but when big international groups buy clinics for which almost all activities are publicly funded, you can assume the profits are substantial.<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Canadian Institute for Health Information. Table B.3.2.a: Public-sector per capita health expenditure by province\/territory and Canada, in current dollars, 1975 to 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

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Investment or expense?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Taking care of the population is one way to ensure revenue for the government since people who work pay taxes and thus create wealth. Healthcare spending is therefore investment.<\/p>\n

If public funds are used to fill the coffers of private companies, then those are expenses!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Preventive or curative?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Maintaining infrastructure isn\u2019t glamorous and it doesn\u2019t bring in votes. The current state of healthcare institutions is the proof! The same observation could be made for occupational health and safety and investments in preventive health care. Governments choose to invest more in curative care and that unfortunately has a cost.<\/p>\n

Not enough funds? <\/strong><\/h4>\n

All political parties aspire to have a balanced budget. Until now, governments have attempted to achieve this by cutting spending and imposing periods of austerity, with all the negative consequences that this entails.<\/p>\n

All the same, it is also possible to increase government revenue. If tax policies were revised to ensure that the wealthy pay their fair share and to prevent tax evasion, achieving a balanced budget would be made much easier.<\/p>\n

More private sector?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

To solve problems in the short term, some parties propose handing over more to the private sector, especially through public-private partnerships (PPP). PPPs are nothing new in the health network! The CHUM and the MUHC were both built with this type of partnership. Positive results? Only if you ignore:<\/p>\n