Absolutely. It's not only in Quebec, it's like that everywhere in Canada. Working conditions for healthcare professionals are not easy, and it's not just during a pandemic. They have an enormous workload all the time, not to mention the medical complexity of patients' problem and the staff shortage.
We have long advocated for an adequate nurse-to-patient ratio precisely to provide safe care. In a normal setting, we're always short-staffed. Healthcare professionals work overtime and do not necessarily work in the best conditions. This is particularly the case during a pandemic when the collective agreement is suspended. We send our professionals from one activity centre to another and we don't systematically verify whether they have the required expertise or whether it's the priority of their activity centre. We are all over the map with our healthcare professionals. This does nothing to attract and retain healthcare professionals.
When this crisis is over, people will be tempted. There's a good chance that people will leave the profession. They will change careers. The situation doesn't make professionals want to stay or the public want to study in this field. This must be addressed since it will be an issue over the short and medium term.