Citizen mobilization gained momentum to protest against the closure of the emergency from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. at the Senneterre health center.
Citizens mobilized on Facebook, with the creation of the Facebook group “Urgence to act: Save the Senneterre health center”, which has more than 1900 members. They also demonstrated to show their displeasure.
They are campaigning to keep the emergency room open 24 hours a day. Sending people elsewhere takes 45 minutes.
“I am not at all reassured, we were unfortunately put under the ax,” laments Mindie Fournier, spokesperson for the event.
We had announcements that it would be closed for a minimum of 12 hours a day. For us, this is an aberration since we are the third largest municipality in terms of territory in Quebec. Our services are already very large to cover, which adds pressure on our ambulance services, ”she explains.
According to Ms. Fournier, the nursing staff at Senneterre are doing well, and morale is good.
“There was extra time, but we get along that it’s summer. Many of us can testify that the summer, with the holidays, everyone gives a little more time to compensate for absences and holidays. Personally, I see it more as a problem with the human resources of the ministry than a problem with the health of the staff, ”she said.
The spokesperson for the demonstration explains that the people of Senneterre do not feel listened to at all.
“The decision was taken more than 130 km from our municipality without even having consulted us, without having come on site and having taken the pulse of the situation.”
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