Mr. Speaker, I listened to my colleague's very accurate description of the truly painful situation in most hospitals. He is a doctor himself and can describe up close what we see from the outside.
In my riding, a rural riding, there is the hospital in Ste-Anne-des-Monts, the one in Maria, the one in Amqui and the one in Matane.
Having spoken with many doctors, nurses and especially patients, I know things are difficult. When the Rochon reform began, certain adjustments had to be made. Doctors and nurses, particularly those on the front line, had to work twice as hard to provide more or less the same level of care.
Last week, one of my friends died in the hospital in Rimouski. Her husband and children told me she had received exceptional care, despite all the federal cuts.
I take this opportunity to thank the doctors and nurses who deal with this situation, who often work overtime with a limited staff to preserve the quality of patient care.
I congratulate these people because they really care. When staff cuts are made, it is not easy to continue to provide the same quality of care, because we are dealing with human lives, not objects.
I have a question for the hon. member, who is a doctor. Earlier, he mentioned that many doctors are moving abroad, particularly to the United States. Nurses are also leaving. Of course, salaries are a factor. The fact that these people are not paid the same as doctors in the United States might a reason for their leaving the country.
Would it not be possible for a government to remove some of the quotas in universities? As we know, there are quotas in medical schools. It is hard to get accepted in medical school. We are told there is shortage of doctors. I agree that doctors work really hard, but there are not enough of them.
Does the hon. member think there is a way to train more doctors, particularly in the regions? Each year, we have to go to the universities, almost beg young doctors and give them special benefits to convince them to come to our regions. Every year, we have to go through this exercise, which should not be necessary, in my opinion. The regions should be served as adequately as the large urban centres. I would like to hear the hon. member on this.