Gathered on November 2nd , as part of a joint press briefing, elected officials from the Beauharnois-Salaberry and Haut-Saint-Laurent RCMs united their voices to denounce the relocation of services at the Hôpital du Suroît in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield towards the future hospital built in Vaudreuil-Dorion.
(Photo city of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield)
The present mayors mentioned having jointly signed a letter requesting a meeting with the Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Christian Dubé. The elected officials wish to have the opportunity to explain to him the reasons of their deep concern about the initial decision of the CISSSMO to relieve the Hôpital Suroît in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield of a large number of services.
Miguel Lemieux, mayor of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield specified that it was not only the gynecology and pediatrics of the Hôpital Suroît that will be transferred to the future hospital in Vaudreuil-Dorion, whose construction is scheduled for 2026, but 10 specializations. Elected officials are unanimous on the legitimacy of the future hospital for the population of Vaudreuil and its surroundings, they also agree that this should not be to the detriment of the needs of the citizens of the region.
“From left to right, passing through the center, the region is mobilized. It is from this perspective that the political leaders are taking this opportunity to come forward in a clear and precise manner. We are asking for a meeting with the Minister of Health in order to explain our fears to him. We supported the addition of services for the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region, we will repeat this, but we absolutely do not disagree with the construction of a new hospital for this region. They have the right to have community care. On the other hand, what started a movement was that we realize that it is rather a transfer of our services and not an addition of services and it is not this that the population of Suroît and the two RCMs served by the Hôpital Suroît initially understood. Adding services to Vaudreuil, obviously nobody is against that, but that we take ours and transfer them there, that’s not the same thing at all”, said the mayor of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield.
For Maude Laberge, maintaining a balance of care between the three hospitals in the Montérégie-Ouest region is essential to maintain good interregional cohesion. Access to specialized health services nearby is an important factor in determining the level of attractiveness of our communities. “By removing so many specializations from the Hôpital Suroît, particularly those sought after by young families, our region would become even more structurally disadvantaged.”
Haut-Saint-Laurent impacted for a second time
Mrs. Louise Lebrun, Prefect of the Haut-Saint-Laurent RCM continued by mentioning that the transfer of services would impact for a second time the citizens of the 13 municipalities of Haut-Saint-Laurent since they have seen in the past their services be transferred to the Hôpital Suroît. “The CISSMO, in its reflection and the decision to move birth, gynecology and pediatrics services to Vaudreuil, simply ignored my region. They did not take into account that in the southwest of Suroît, there is a population who is entitled to have access to services. Our mothers and future mothers will be forced to drive an hour and cross not one, but two bridges to access this new hospital. We must not ignore the pregnancy follow-ups where these mothers will have to make this same long journey while organizing their trips as best they can, since no public transport is offered to Vaudreuil.”
