Relations have grown more strained than ever between Health Minister Gaétan Barrette and the McGill University Health Centre.

The government is financing the MUHC at an occupancy rate of 85 per cent, based on a 10-year-old plan that did not foresee the increase in clinical volumes that the hospital network is now facing as Quebec’s population ages.
The group of prominent doctors sent an urgent letter on Feb 05,  to the Health Minister asking to restore funding to the MUHC. Barrette responded two months later, on April 10, but did not indicate whether the government would boost funding to reflect the MUHC’s current bed-occupancy rate of 95 per cent.
Meanwhile, the Montreal Gazette has learned that the minister has not responded to a similar letter sent by the MUHC’s board of directors — a source of bitterness for the board.
Barrette has repeatedly criticized MUHC management in public, despite reducing the MUHC operation budget from more than $1 billion a decade ago to the current $850 million.

Some of the results:

Patient rooms have been closed.
Not all the operating rooms are being utilized.
More than 1,000 elective surgeries have been postponed.
Some of the high-tech medical equipment has been mothballed.
Surgeons now have to do paperwork late in the evenings after dozens of secretarial positions were abolished.
This summer, the MUHC will close the 23-bed stroke and traumatic brain injury unit at the Montreal General Hospital.
Source: Montreal Gazette
“Disapointing the MUHC Senior Management continues to publicly state that the cuts are not having an negative affect on patient care. Their opinion is in contrast to that of the Doctors, Nurses and Support Staff.”  Manuel Fernandes Interim President MUHCEU.