More than $ 2.4 billion was spent by health establishments in Quebec to directly fight the first wave of COVID-19, reveal data obtained under the access to information law. And the counter continues to run. To this must be added 3 billion spent by Quebec for various contracts for the purchase of protective equipment since March. Definitely, the COVID-19 bill will be high.
Posted on December 31, 2020 at 5:00 a.m.
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Press asked all health establishments in the province to provide the amounts spent to fight against the first wave of COVID-19, from March 10 to October 7, 2020. The amounts vary. But the CISSS and CIUSSS spent $ 150 million to $ 200 million each to fight the first wave of the pandemic. Quebec has 22 CISSS and CIUSSS and 7 university hospital centers (CHU).
The expenses caused by COVID-19 in health establishments are manifold. We think of protective equipment such as masks and gloves. At the CIUSSS de la Mauricie-et-du-Center-du-Québec, more than $ 4 million was spent during the first wave to buy gowns. Several establishments have also had to purchase laboratory equipment to perform screening tests. Also in the Mauricie and Center-du-Québec region, two devices for PCR tests were purchased at 2.5 million each.
Overtime paid to healthcare workers is part of the bill.
The CIUSSS de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, one of the largest health establishments in the province, had to pay $ 44.3 million to its employees for overtime during the first wave.
Added to this are the sums spent since October to fight the second wave of the disease, the sums related to the vaccination campaign and the money spent by the Ministry of Health and Social Services to acquire personal protective equipment (PPE) in a state of emergency. In a press release published on December 10, the Ministry reported to have spent 3 billion to date on 669 over-the-counter contracts related to the acquisition of PPE.
Debate with Ottawa
At the Ministry of Health, it is mentioned that, in its economic update of November 12, the government announced additional investments of $ 5 billion from 2019 to 2023 to “strengthen the health system” in connection with COVID- 19.
In early December, Prime Minister François Legault, together with the premiers of the other provinces and territories, asked Ottawa to increase federal health transfers from 22% to 35%. This request was rejected by Justin Trudeau. A decision criticized by François Legault and his counterparts. “Mr. Trudeau told us that, in his opinion, because of the COVID situation, this discussion was premature. We believe that, on the contrary, the COVID situation adds to the problem of financing health care in all provinces and [tous les] territories in Canada, ”François Legault said on December 9.
– With William Leclerc, Press
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