After Quebec’s top doctor resigns, critics say replacement should be more independent – Montreal

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The three main opposition parties in Quebec and the College of Physicians of the province are asking that the next director of public health be more independent from Prime Minister François Legault.

Dr Horacio Arruda resigned his post as director of public health on Monday, after the Quebec government faced weeks of criticism from the opposition and experts for its handling of the latest wave of COVID -19.

Quebec’s healthcare system is under enormous stress due to the rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 patients, and the latest restrictions – including a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew – are among the more stringent in the country.

Read more: Quebec director of public health Horacio Arruda resigns amid latest wave of COVID-19

The opposition said Arruda, who usually appeared in public alongside health ministers Christian Dubé and Legault and whose advice to government was often given orally behind closed doors, was too close to policymakers.

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5: 56Legault thanks the director of public health Arruda for his work after his resignation Legault thanks the director of public health Arruda for his work after his resignation

Québec solidaire released a statement on Tuesday calling on the government to include opposition parties in the process of appointing Arruda’s replacement. The Parti Québécois said on Tuesday that the recommendations of the next director of public health should be made public.

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“The last 22 months have shown us collectively how important it is for Quebec to have an independent public health director who can manage the crisis while staying at a distance from government decisions,” said Québec solidaire in a press release.

Read more: Quebec will impose a tax on people not vaccinated against COVID-19

This position was echoed by the Collège des médecins du Québec, which said on Twitter on Tuesday that Quebecers would be more inclined to follow public health directives if the office of the public director was more independent of elected officials.

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Opposition leader Dominique Anglade, however, said she did not expect anything to change when Arruda is replaced.

“Dr Arruda’s departure will not solve anything,” she wrote on Twitter on Monday. “Decisions are made by the Prime Minister and should be based on science and not on polls and gut feelings. “

Legault held a press conference in Montreal at 1 p.m. Tuesday, where he introduced Arruda’s temporary replacement, Dr. Luc Boileau, director of a government health research facility called the National Institute of Excellence in health and social services.

Read more: COVID-19: Quebec exceeds 12,000 deaths as hospitalizations also experience another sharp increase

Earlier Tuesday, Quebec reported 62 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of people killed by COVID-19 in the province to 12,028, the highest number in Canada.

The health ministry said hospitalizations related to COVID-19 increased by 188, to 2,742, after 433 people were admitted to hospital in the previous 24 hours and 245 were discharged. The number of people in intensive care increased by seven, to 255.

Quebec reported 8,710 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, which were the result of more than 51,000 tests, of which 20% came back positive.

© 2022 The Canadian Press

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