A letter signed by some twenty cancer specialist doctors from the Sherbrooke University Hospital alerts the population to the shortage of nursing staff in hematology-oncology.
According to doctors, this is an unprecedented situation at the chemotherapy center, which has been going on since August.
The consequences would be very real. This shortage results in the impossibility of administering approximately 50% of the chemotherapy treatments prescribed by hematologists-oncologists, which corresponds to hundreds of patients, we read in the letter.
The signatories note that although the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS seems to be studying all measures to limit the impact on users, concerns remain among doctors. We are worried about our patients, because the situation could last several weeks and significantly impact the quality of care, we can read.
Advances in medicine that cause overload
In an interview with Téléjournal Estrie, the head of the hematology-oncology department and signatory of the letter, Dr. Michel Pavic, explained that progress in cancer treatment has led to an increase in the number of patients.
For the past 10 years, every 18 months, the number of patients has increased by 10%, so that in 10 years, we have doubled the number of patients in treatment, we have gone from 50 to 90, even 100 treatments per day. The staff has not followed, the premises have not followed, he specifies.
We pulled the rope a lot, then the elastic snapped and we’ll have to find ways to get enough nurses to come.
A quote from Dr Michel Pavic, head of the hematology-oncology department
This context would cause exhaustion of workers and successive waves of sick leave and resignations.
If we want the immense progress in cancer treatment to translate into more cures and more lives saved, it is important to be able to treat patients properly. This will inevitably involve increasing healthcare personnel resources and creating infrastructures adapted to today’s reality, the letter reads.
Situation under control, according to the CIUSSS de l’Estrie CHUS
Asked to respond at the end of the day on Tuesday, the CIUSSS de l’Estrie CHUS was unable to grant us an interview. However, by email, the organization indicated that while the situation is not desirable, it is under control, particularly due to the temporary measures that have been put in place to ensure the safety of our users’ care.
A service corridor has been established with the Charles-Lemoyne Hospital that will allow chemotherapy treatment to be offered to certain patients. The beneficiaries will be selected based on certain criteria, including their proximity to the Estrie region.
We are working to restore the situation as soon as possible. All users affected by these measures will be contacted by telephone at the appropriate time.
A quote from CIUSSS de l’Estrie CHUS
Flying teams will also be deployed in the coming weeks to assist the teams.
A call to promote the profession
Michel Pavic, for his part, hopes that the nursing profession will be valued more. We need to motivate the youngest to pursue these careers, and then we need to value the nursing profession so that our hospitals don’t give up, he exclaims.
My heartfelt cry is that we really need nurses very quickly.
A quote from Dr Michel Pavic, head of the hematology-oncology department
According to Dr. Pavic, several hospitals in Quebec are facing similar issues.
