Health committee  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

Health committee  Absolutely. I want to believe that the decision was made based on the situation at the time, but we knew very well that the snapshot on February 10 was not going to be the same. Epidemiologists and experts did not seem to think that Quebec in particular would see such a significa

Health committee  No, we were not consulted at all with respect to the national stockpile. Even at the provincial level, we asked questions regularly about the amount of equipment in each facility and overall. We never received any answers to our questions.

Health committee  No, we have not halted reuse of equipment. For the time being, in Quebec, we are not at the point of having to reuse equipment, particularly masks, but we know that healthcare establishments are considering this practice. Apparently, one establishment in Quebec City has found a w

Health committee  We believe this is largely due to the number of tests that have been done. In Quebec, we have been at the forefront of testing people. That is probably the main reason why we have so many positive cases.

Health committee  I will speak for the healthcare professionals we represent. We have been slow to protect them. It's something we have noticed in the field for several weeks now. With regard to contamination in CHSLDs, once family visits were stopped, it's possible that healthcare professionals

Health committee  That would be a potentially very interesting option, but the type of equipment has yet to be determined. We are only asking for N95 masks and we don't have them. You understand, I will wait for the technology to arrive before I consider it.

Health committee  Thank you.

Health committee  As I said earlier, public health guidelines in Quebec are constantly changing. It's been determined that there is sustained community spread throughout Quebec. That was problematic, because in previous days they claimed that there was provincial community spread, but the INSPQ do

Health committee  Thank you for your question. Yes, the lack of supplies was noticed quite quickly. That is what made us a little angry. In all of his press briefings for two weeks, Mr. Legault was reassuring. He said that there was enough personal protective equipment. However, in the front lin

Health committee  I'm no expert, but it should be understood that the instructions clearly indicate that these masks are disposable and, ideally, single-use. Because of the shortage, they're trying to bring in all kinds of means that have not been proven effective. In Quebec, the Association parit

Health committee  I would say that is more or less the case. Our observation today, a few weeks into this pandemic, is that we had the distinct impression that public health guidelines were adjusted based on the availability of personal protective equipment, when public health should be ahead of t

Health committee  Mr. Chair, committee members, good morning. My name is Linda Lapointe. I am a respiratory therapist and vice-president of the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec, commonly known as the FIQ. I am responsible for the workplace health and safety of our healthcare

Health committee  Do you want me to repeat?

Health committee  All right. Mr. Chair, committee members, good morning. My name is Linda Lapointe. I am vice-president of the executive committee for the FIQ, the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec. I am responsible for the workplace health and safety of our healthcare profes