-New health bill is a concern for Eeyou Istchee

The Cree Health Board has received assurances from high-placed Quebec elected officials that a controversial bill will not result in an exodus of doctors from Eeyou Istchee.

Bill 20 is a province-wide healthcare reform bill that sets quotas on the minimum number of patients doctors must take on.

Cree Board of Health and Social Services Chair Bella Moses Petawabano and Dr. Darlene Kitty, President of the Council of Physicians, Dentists and Pharmacists (CPDP), gave a presentation to the National Assembly on their concerns about the bill, which they argue could be detrimental to the health of northern communities.

Many of the part-time and replacement doctors in Eeyou Istchee do not maintain full-time practices in the south, giving them the flexibility to travel to northern communities. These doctors are a key part of healthcare in many remote Northern communities.

“The requirements would have a negative effect on our part-time doctors. We share the goal of the plan, to improve family medicine,” said Petawabano. “The application, in its current form, would result in a massive exodus of doctors.”

The representatives noted that a high proportion – 25% – of people in Eeyou Istchee suffer from Type 2 diabetes. If Bill 20 becomes law, some people would be forced to travel south for medical care.

Their presentation gained a sympathetic response.

Health Minister Gaétan Barrette stated Bill 20 will not be applied in its current form to the region, and that considerations and adjustments will be made in the bill to avoid any negative impacts on the Cree.