'We pay for part of your studies. In exchange, you have to be accountable'
Quebec’s government has introduced legislation that would require newly trained doctors to commit five years of practice to the province’s public health system or face steep penalties.
Health Minister Christian Dubé tabled Bill 83, An Act to promote the practice of medicine in the public health and social services network, in the National Assembly on Tuesday, according to a report from The Canadian Press (CP).
The bill targets the rising trend of Quebec-trained doctors leaving the public system for private practice, other provinces, or international opportunities. According to the report, Dubé pointed to a 70% increase in doctors opting for private sector roles since 2020 as evidence of the growing issue.
Last month, Quebec Premier François Legault said he was prepared to make a legal maneuver to require doctors trained in Quebec universities to begin their careers in the province’s public system.
Under the proposed law, physicians who breach this requirement could face fines of up to $200,000 per day.
“It’s a contractual issue,” according to Joël Arseneau, member of the National Assembly of Quebec, in the CP report posted on City News. “We pay for part of your studies. In exchange, you have to be accountable. So you have years of service to offer.”
Dubé underscored the significant public investment involved in training medical professionals. The cost of training a single doctor in Quebec, including residency, ranges between $435,000 and $790,000.
Since the province funds the training of doctors in Quebec, the population has the right to have access to the care for which it pays, Dubé notes, according to the report.
However, 400 of the 2,536 doctors who completed their studies between 2015 and 2017 left the province.
Previously, one expert criticized the growing role of incentives to attract doctors, which, they said, is putting a strain on some communities.
