Montreal

According to the Saskatchewan Nurses Union (SUN), the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon is overflowing and operating at 350 per cent capacity.

According to SUN data, there were 121 patients in a unit that includes 35 beds as of Tuesday evening in the hospital. The Union also claims that there was a shortage of 5 nurses and that there was one nurse to take care of 14 patients.

Open in full screen mode

The president of the Saskatchewan Nurses Union (SUN), Tracy Zambory, believes that the outgoing government’s recruitment and hospital overcrowding efforts are ineffective.

Photo: The Canadian Press / Heywood Yu

The Union also points out that 12 patients were installed in the hospital corridors and that the hospital emergency department ran out of oxygen.

Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate for Saskatoon Fairview, Vicki Mowatt, said in a statement that outgoing Premier Scott Moe needs to explain how he allowed this situation to happen under his watch.

He has broken our health care system. How can the people of Saskatchewan trust him to resolve this crisis when he has done nothing for years? wonders Vicki Mowat.

Health personnel again in front of the Legislative Building

The anger of healthcare workers continues to grow over the crisis facing their sector.

After health care personnel represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, nearly 400 SUN members also organized a rally Thursday in front of the Legislative Building in Regina. The union president, Tracy Zambory, attended the meeting.

How can we take care of our patients in an emergency room that is overflowing, when we are regularly at 200% of our capacity, with beds in the corridors, exclaimed the president of SUN.

We are in a very deep problem, she said.

Open in full screen mode

Saskatchewan New Democratic Party Leader Carla Beck during a rally organized by the Saskatchewan Nurses Union (SUN) in front of the Legislative Building on October 3, 2024.

Photo: The Canadian Press / Heywood Yu

Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck, also at the rally, believes nurses deserve better than the treatment they are currently receiving.

We know that the only way to stabilize the situation in hospitals is to work with nurses, says Carla Beck. We will not tell you that we have quick answers and solutions to offer you to resolve what is happening in our hospitals.

The federal government does not know when it will be able to eliminate all of the 408,000 transactions awaiting processing in the Phoenix pay system.

The government wants to eliminate 112,000 by the end of the financial year. This includes processing the 19,000 pending transactions deemed to be the most problematic and impactful for public servants.

Shared Services Canada employees will be the first whose files will be transferred to the new Dayforce payroll system. The government therefore wants to eliminate the 12,000 transactions pending for employees of this department by the end of the financial year.

Artificial intelligence in support

To help resolve payroll issues and improve our operations, we have launched various HR and payroll initiatives. One of them concerns a virtual assistant based on artificial intelligence which is intended to support compensation advisors and significantly reduce processing times, we can read in a press release from Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC ).

The government emphasizes that the first tests with artificial intelligence are conclusive and that it wishes to clean a growing number of erroneous data with this technology.

We did almost 20,000 cases in one evening. So that’s something that a human won’t necessarily be able to do. There, we need to ensure whether the calculation that was made is the correct calculation, confides the Associate Deputy Minister of PSPC, Alex Benay.

Open in full screen mode

Alex Benay, Associate Deputy Minister of Public Services and Procurement (File photo)

Photo : The Canadian Press / Justin Tang

However, he specifies that it is up to civil servants to manage payments so as not to let artificial intelligence do all the work. There will be humans who will be part of the decision-making process. There will be de facto tools. So, it’s a bit of a transition that we’re making, but we’re trying to do it gradually, adds Mr. Benay.

PSPC maintains that it has begun studying possible solutions for a new modern case management and customer relations tool that will allow more efficient management of pay transactions.

Eliminate pending transactions before Dayforce

The federal government wants to eliminate all transactions pending for more than a year before transferring the files of all federal civil servants to the new Dayforce pay system. This represents approximately 200,000 transactions.

To avoid past mistakes and ensure a harmonious transition between the two pay systems, the government anticipates that they will have to coexist for a period of approximately five years.

We are not going to transfer an erroneous file or data into the new system. I think we’ve seen the impact it’s had historically when we do it. […] We are working on policies and systematic approaches across all ministries to ensure that this does not happen again, underlines Alex Benay.

The official launch of Dayforce is not expected until 2026.

Since 2016, the federal government has spent several billion dollars on the Phoenix pay system.

A government obligation

In response to this update, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) reiterated that paying public servants correctly is not a choice, but rather an obligation of the government and its main responsibility.

Open in full screen mode

Sharon DeSousa is the National President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC). (Archive photo)

Photo: Account X/PSAC

New tools to help compensation advisors deal with pay issues are a good start, but after eight years, it’s too little, too late. Public servants and unions expect real progress to be made in resolving the Phoenix pay issues and the enormous backlog of more than 407,000 pay issues, says PSAC National President Sharon DeSousa in a written statement.

For her, we must hire and train compensation advisors and then deal with the new Phoenix problems that are created every day and eliminate the enormous backlog of pay problems.

With information from Estelle Côté-Sroka

The recurrence of temporary closures of hospital emergency rooms in the Thompson-Okanagan region, in British Columbia, is worrying the population. The emergency department at Nicola Valley Hospital in Merritt experienced 16 days of complete or partial shutdown this year.

On October 20, 2023, Shelley Thompson and her parents were very scared. That day, the resident of Lower Nicola, located near Merritt, received a call from her father-in-law who told her that her mother was having trouble breathing.

Open in full screen mode

The fact that our emergency department isn’t staying open makes Merritt residents feel like second-class citizens, Shelley Thompson said.

Photo : Radio-Canada / Camille Pauvarel

He told me: “Shelley, come, we need help, we are in the hospital, the emergency room is closed, your mother is not well,” recounts the sixty-year-old.

Shelley Thomson said she found them in the parking lot with her mother in an ambulance. They were trying to stabilize her, they told me they couldn’t get her into the hospital, they had to take her to Kamloops, and quickly.

The Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops is more than 80 kilometers from that in Merritt. Shelley’s mother, Darlene Komonoski, 90, suffers from congestive heart failure, a chronic illness.

When she has a cardiac event, her heart doesn’t pump enough to circulate oxygen through her system, it’s like she’s suffocating, her daughter explains.

Open in full screen mode

Shelley Thompson is the primary caregiver for her mother Darlene Komonoski. She lives a few blocks away in Lower Nicola.

Photo : Radio-Canada / Camille Pauvarel

Darlene Komonoski is not the only one in her household with poor health, as her husband, Paul, 86, has a pacemaker and his poor circulation in his legs can cause infections.

The couple has lived in Merritt since the 1970s and is able to live alone, with regular visits from their children.

We stayed because the hospital is a 10-minute drive away, but it’s unsettling knowing you can go there and find no one.

A quote from Lower Nicola resident Darlene Komonoski

Open in full screen mode

Darlene and Paul Komonoski have lived in Merritt since the 1970s and worry about not being able to get to an emergency room 10 miles away if needed.

Photo : Radio-Canada / Camille Pauvarel

On Friday October 20, 2023, the emergency room at Nicola Valley Hospital remained closed for 24 hours, with the Interior Health Authority reporting a limited availability of doctors (New window) (in English).

Municipalities seeking change

Since January 2023, the 30 emergency departments of hospitals in the Interior have experienced multiple interruptions. The last long weekend in August, which includes Labor Day, five emergency rooms were closed in the region.

Each time, the reasons given by the Interior Health Authority were limited capacity of nursing staff.

Mayor of Merritt since 2022, Michael Goetz is scrupulously monitoring the situation: At the beginning, I had the feeling of letting the population down.

Open in full screen mode

Merritt Mayor Michael Goetz says he has received upcoming dates for his city’s emergency room closures through the end of the year.

Photo : Radio-Canada / Camille Pauvarel

In a binder started in June, the elected official brought together the Health Authority’s press releases on hospital closures as well as his discussions with the various government authorities.

If I had started it in January, it would probably be twice as thick, he says, turning the pages.

On July 11, 2024, Mr. Goetz sent an invoice to Prime Minister, David Eby, for the funds committed, according to him, by his Municipality to alleviate the situation. It includes additional costs for ambulance transportation to Kamloops.

Our firefighters had to intervene to fill the gaps and take a lot of their budget, he says.

According to Michael Goetz, approximately 14,000 people depend on Merritt Hospital. The elected representative includes the five First Nations of the Nicola Valley, the 7,000 inhabitants of Merritt as well as other small surrounding communities, such as Lower Nicola.

Open in full screen mode

Merritt Mayor Michael Goetz is stepping up efforts to make emergency rooms open 24 hours a day.

Photo : Radio-Canada / Camille Pauvarel

I don’t want to accept the fact that it’s a normal situation because, as soon as we start doing it, they’ll look at it and be like, “You know what? Nobody cares. Let’s close the hospital and everyone can go to Kamloops.”

A quote from Michael Goetz, Mayor of Merritt

In October 2023, the province committed $7.5 million to Merritt, Oliver and Salmon Arm to stabilize emergency physician coverage at hospitals in those communities.

However, according to the mayor, Merritt has still not received his share.

The South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver is at the top of the list of closed emergency rooms in the region.

Start of widget. Skip widget?End of widget. Return to start of widget?

Since last March, a group made up of doctors, municipal councilors and residents has been trying to find solutions.

One is to provide a list of temporary or long-term accommodations to applicants for healthcare positions.

Health care is not the responsibility of local authorities, but we are the level of government closest to people and the ones they come to see when they are concerned about what is happening in their community, explains Aimee Grice, municipal councilor in Oliver.

South Okanagan General Hospital covers the communities from Oliver to Osoyoos. When it is closed, the population of this area must go to Penticton, about forty kilometers from Oliver.

According to the Interior Health Authority, Nicola Valley Hospital and South Okanagan General Hospital are each seeking four full-time and part-time physicians trained in the emergency field.

Open in full screen mode

As of October, Nicola Valley Hospital in Merritt had been closed 16 days since the start of 2024.

Photo : Radio-Canada / Camille Pauvarel

A few weeks before the provincial elections, many candidates are taking up the subject. The proposals from the different parties are available here.

The emergency departments at Merritt and Oliver Hospital were closed again for part of the last weekend of September.

Since her mother’s incident last year, Shelley has never turned off her phone. Our sense of security in our hospital has completely disappeared, she says.

The Cancer Foundations, Children of Northeastern Ontario (NEO) and Health Sciences North are merging to become a single entity.

According to executives, this merger will better distribute donations while improving patient care.

It’s the best of both worlds. With this merger, we are reducing the administrative burden on the health system, while directing funds to patients who need them most, says Lacey Pitre, president of the oncology department at Horizon Santé-Nord.

This merger will allow us to concentrate all our energy within a single board of directors. We often use a lot of them in a single board.

A quote from Lacey Pitre, head of the oncology department at Health Sciences North

Open in full screen mode

Anthony Keating will head the group that brings together the merged foundations.

Photo : Radio-Canada / Désiré Kafunda

Anthony Keating, the president and CEO of the Horizon Santé-Nord foundation, will be the sole head of the united foundations, which now form the HSN foundation.

According to managers, no jobs will be eliminated.

Unity is strength

Mr. Keating emphasizes that, despite this change, nothing will necessarily change for donors, who will still be able to direct their donations towards the foundations that are close to their hearts.

For her part, Pamela Therrien, general director of the HSN board of directors, believes that there is strength in unity.

This merger will strengthen the health services offered in the various departments concerned in Greater Sudbury, she said.

Open in full screen mode

Pamela Therrien believes that the merger will strengthen the services that are already offered by the different foundations.

Photo : Radio-Canada / Désiré Kafunda

According to Ms. Therrien, the union of the three foundations will make it easier for donors as well as patients like her son, who suffered from blastomycosis.

My son spent a few weeks in the pediatric unit. When he fell ill, I really understood the importance of the hospital’s services, so I think it will be beneficial for patients in the region, she says.

Since 2019, the combined efforts of the foundations have raised $35 million and purchased equipment.

In operation for several months, the new wastewater treatment system of L’Anse-Saint-Jean was the subject of an announcement on Monday during which the government of Quebec confirmed having provided aid of 22 million dollars.

The sum made it possible to carry out major work in the municipality of Bas-Saguenay. Since 2022, various projects have been successfully completed.

The roadway on rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste was resurfaced thanks to this amount.

Rain and wastewater management has also been improved.

Until a few months ago, screeners filtered pieces of dirty water. These were thrown without biological treatment into the Saguenay River.

A long-awaited project

Wastewater management has been discussed and awaited for nearly 25 years in L’Anse-Saint-Jean.

The scale of the work, if we look at the aerated ponds, is still very important. I don’t know how many truck trips were made, but it was phenomenal to see and the work also in the heart of the village and on the main street, from the church to the corner of the roads. It was still impressive. So, it was a very, very important challenge which was met brilliantly, said the mayor of Anjeanne, Richard Perron, on Monday morning.

Open in full screen mode

Aerated ponds have an impressive size.

Photo : Radio-Canada / Annie-Claude Brisson

The work was made possible thanks to the financial participation of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.

The project was 95% subsidized by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. For the remaining 5%, we were able to apply part of the technology, i.e. $700 to $800,000 that we were able to put into this project, so there remained $300,000 to $400,000 which was at the responsibility of the Municipality, continued the mayor.

A program in place

Anse-Saint-Jean now has a compliant wastewater treatment system, but this is not the case everywhere in Quebec. The provincial government ensures that programs exist.

Open in full screen mode

The mayor of L’Anse-Saint-Jean, Richard Perron, the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Andrée Laforest, and the MP for Dubuc, François Tremblay, took part in the press conference.

Photo : Radio-Canada / Annie-Claude Brisson

We still have 2.4 billion that we have just invested in the PRIMEAU program, for all municipalities in Quebec. Then, we say, it is essential to work and improve our municipal water infrastructure and wastewater treatment plants too. I am very lucky because I see that municipalities now understand the priority of climate change, said Minister Andrée Laforest, also MP for Chicoutimi-Nord.

According to the latest data, 77 municipalities in Quebec were still dumping their wastewater into the environment last June.

The entire board of directors of the financially troubled London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) hospital system is resigning after the province appointed an overseer to help turn around the health-care facility.

The supervisor in question, David Musyj, was until his appointment the interim president and CEO of the LHSC, which is projecting a budget deficit of $150 million this year.

Most recently, Mr. Musyj announced the dismissal of a third of LHSC’s directors in order to save $14 million.

In its statement, the province said Musyj will work closely with senior management and LHSC employees to address concerns about the hospital’s operations, governance and management practices, including troubling financial performance, that were raised in a third-party assessment.

Open in full screen mode

David Musyj, who has been acting president and CEO of the London Health Sciences Centre since last May, has just been appointed supervisor of the hospital network by the province.

Photo : CBC / Alex Brockman

In a statement released shortly after the province’s announcement, Musyj said he sincerely thanked the entire board of directors who decided to voluntarily resign in recognition of the need for a new path forward. [l’hôpital] under new leadership.

The Board of Directors [démissionnaire] fully supports the appointment of Supervisor and LHSC’s journey towards sustainable transformation.

A quote from David Musyj, Supervisor of London Health Sciences Centre

The province said in its statement that Musyj will provide the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health with regular updates on his work, as well as a final report that will help restore effective governance structures and practices, improve finances and stabilize the hospital’s operations.

Under Ontario’s Public Hospitals Act, the province has the authority to appoint a supervisor to head a hospital when there are management concerns.

Victoria Hospital in Renfrew, in eastern Ontario, is also managed by a supervisor appointed last June.

Prior to his appointment as interim CEO of LHSC, David Musyj was President and CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital, where he is being temporarily replaced by Karen Riddell.

More information to follow