The Montérégie-West Integrated Health and Social Services Centre (CISSSMO) has released a report detailing the results of public consultations held as part of the 2023-2033 clinical organization plan development. More than 1,300 individuals and organizations from the region participated in one of four virtual workshops as well as an online survey. These were conducted by the Institut du Nouveau Monde (INM) to gather information about current health care services and the future needs of the population.
According to a CISSSMO press release, the consultation found that health care expectations mainly concerned access to mental health services, primary care services and family doctor availability, and specialized consultation and rehabilitation services. Access to local services was also identified as a top priority in the Haut-Saint-Laurent LHN.
The coordinating committee of the Save the Mother-Child Centre and the regional mission of the Suroît Hospital praised the INM report in a press release, but says it is dismayed by what it calls the “editorializing” of the report by the CISSSMO.
“It was stunning to see how they had interpreted things,” says Rémi Pelletier, committee member and director of the CDC du Haut-Saint-Laurent. He suggests the CISSSMO’s findings disregard the issues of access to women’s health care services and the realities facing rural communities. “We are concerned,” Pelletier says, acknowledging that while he believes the community will rally to ensure such essential services remain at the Suroît Hospital, he is worried by the CISSSMO’s failure to mention these in its findings.
Work is ongoing to identify gaps between the current CISSSMO service offer and the needs expressed by the population. A second round of workshops should take place between now and June, and a finalized organization plan is expected by year’s end.
