Cost for private care is $10K but worker will collect salary instead, ‘make sense to you?’
Pamela Villeneuve, an orderly in Quebec, is unable to resume her duties due to bureaucratic hurdles, adding to the ongoing struggle faced by the province in recruiting and retaining staff in hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics.
Villeneuve's predicament arises from a workplace injury that has left her sidelined, highlighting the challenges faced by healthcare workers.
Villeneuve spoke with CTV News and described what happened. "I was cleaning up a patient. When he stood up, his diaper fell, and he kept walking while I tried to pick it up. He kept walking, and my wrist twisted." Despite the pain, she persevered in her job for a while but eventually had to apply for worker's compensation and remain at home while awaiting surgery.
However, Villeneuve encountered a setback when she discovered she had been placed on a lengthy waiting list, forcing her to endure two years of pain while being confined to her home. Seeking alternatives, she sought advice from a private surgeon outside the Quebec health insurance system.
The private clinic estimated the surgery cost at $10,000, and Villeneuve assumed that the Quebec workplace safety commission (CNESST) would cover the expense. To her dismay, the CNESST declined her request, stating, "They told me, due to protocol, 'we will never pay for private surgeries.'"
In a puzzling turn of events, the CNESST agreed to cover Villeneuve's salary for a minimum of two years while she waits for surgery in a public hospital, a move that would exceed the cost of the private procedure. Villeneuve expressed her bewilderment, saying, "(That's) between 70 and 80 per cent of my salary, so roughly $37,000 a year. Make any sense to you?"
Responding to the situation, the CNESST released a statement asserting that it could not comment on individual cases but emphasized that injured workers are entitled to choose their health professionals when necessary.
The statement also noted that surgeries conducted in private clinics might be reimbursed under specific conditions, particularly if the service is unavailable in a public health facility. Reimbursement is determined based on rates established by the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ).
Patient rights advocate Paul Brunet expressed concern about Villeneuve's ordeal and questioned the CNESST's approach. "The CNESST goes and hires some private doctors, some private health professionals, to solve certain cases. I don't understand why they won't do the same for an employee of the health system who can help the system and help the reduction of wait times," Brunet remarked.
Meanwhile, Villeneuve wants to get back to work rather than relying on benefits. "If I was eligible to get a loan at the bank, at this point in my life, I would get it. I wouldn't fight anymore; I'm in that much pain."
Villeneuve's story sheds light on the bureaucratic challenges faced by healthcare workers in Quebec and the need for comprehensive solutions to address the recruitment and retention crisis in the province's healthcare system.
