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What it is:
SOS Outaouais is a coalition of organizations and citizens from all sectors of the Outaouais who wish to speak with one voice, and who share deep concerns about the current state of the health and social services system. It also brings together the efforts of groups and individuals who have made public demands to date.
The Gatineau Health Foundation is the coalition’s coordinator and spokesperson.
We need to act, together, with one voice!
The current situation is alarming, as evidenced by the following statistics:
- The Gatineau ER operates with less than 30% staff, and had to close for several months a few years ago due to staff shortages;
- The Hull ER operates with less than 50% staff;
- Gatineau’s operating room operates with 25% staff and Hull’s with 43%;
- Waiting times for elective surgery are the longest in the province;
- Access to laboratory tests is limited in all outlying ERs.
Ongoing and future actions:
Currently, in the middle of the summer season, our goal is to create visibility and engage the community. We want to grow the movement, make it better known and inform the population about the situation and context in which the Outaouais health and social services system finds itself, by demonstrating the issues in concrete ways. The source, of course, of our 2 major demands..
This is not a sprint, but a marathon. First and foremost, we need to demonstrate to decision-makers that the population is committed! Hence the 5 different actions to take, which you’ll find below.
What we’re aiming for at the moment is strength in numbers, before we even set up and present to the public any major, more concrete actions, such as a rally, for example. Strength in numbers … that’s what we need to create first! A committed population, aware of the situation and willing to take action to change things.
- Lend your voice to the coalition via the buttons above;
- Take part in the consultation via the Cocoriko platform by clicking here. You’ll be giving our community a real voice, and providing us with additional arguments about the real fears and opinions of the Outaouais population;
- Reserve your (free) lawn sign by e-mail and add weight to the movement while demonstrating the scale of your impact and commitment;
- Share your story with us via the Cocoriko platform! Do you have a testimonial to share, a story to tell? We want to hear it;
- Subscribe to our Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn pages so you don’t miss a thing, and, of course… spread the word!
Our plea is as follows:
Statement 1 :
We, the members of the SOS Outaouais coalition, call on the Quebec National Assembly to correct the historic disparities in health and social services for the Outaouais, in addition to honoring its recognition of our region with its significant particularities, formulated on October 30, 2019. Despite this recognition, the situation continues to deteriorate, jeopardizing equitable access to healthcare for our citizens. The coalition affirms that Outaouais citizens have a fundamental right to access the same care available elsewhere in the province. Significant funding shortfalls and human resources challenges are severely hampering our ability to offer services comparable to those in other regions of Quebec. We are currently $448.54* per capita, or approximately $181 million per year*, short of the provincial average in per capita spending on health and social services programs.
* Source : Bégin, Alexandre (2024). L’Outaouais en mode rattrapage : suivi des progrès de la région en santé, éducation et culture. March 2024, Observatoire du développement de l’Outaouais. 2024-L’Outaouais en mode rattrapage (odooutaouais.ca)
Statement 2 :
The SOS Outaouais coalition urges the Quebec National Assembly to take immediate action to improve health care and social services in our region. Our border location with Ontario attracts many Outaouais workers and professionals to work there because of the more attractive salaries. To remedy these disparities and prevent the implosion of the Outaouais healthcare system, we are calling for the implementation of permanent and sustainable measures, including differentiated compensation for health and social services workers and professionals in our region. It’s crucial that the government take these actions to guarantee equitable access to healthcare for all Outaouais residents.
Support coalition partners' initiatives
Number of e-mails sent to the National Assembly requesting pay parity with Ontario, via SOS07
Number of e-mails sent :
45 600
Number of signatures on the change.org petition led by the council of physicians, dentists and pharmacists of the CISSS de l'Outaouais.
27,929 35 000
27,929 signatures out of the 35,000 required
Press review
Click here to consult the press review.