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The government is going to build a new French super hospital in Montreal - that is a good thing, believe me, it's way overdue.
At first they were going to build it in a whole new location in Outremont.
Then, it seemed the best way to go was to renovate St. Luc Hospital.
This morning we find out that has changed. They're simply going to demolish St. Luc and rebuild. Now that in itself is actually a good idea I suppose. Way less constraints than retrofitting.
But.
Hospitals are a nightmare in Montreal as it is. It's actually normal to wait 10-12 hours in the emergency room. What is going to happen now with, I dunno 600 less beds for several years?*
Thank god they're not tearing down an English hospital for the new English super hospital - yes, we're getting two. An English hospital and a French one. Don't ask.
All I can say, is you'd better not get sick in Montreal until 2013 (or whenever they actually do finish the new hospital - we all know what happens to target dates)
*This morning's political commentator was over the moon, "So great", he said, "Finally!" When asked what they would do with the patients? "Oh, they'll park them somewhere." And that's a direct quote.
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18 comments:
Okay, I have to ask, what's the difference between a regular hospital in Canada and a French hospital? Is one just more likely to come across French speakers? Or is it something more stereotypical like more types of baguettes and cheeses are available in the lobby?
ticknart- In Qc, you have the right to get healthcare (or any government services) in French or Englishthe French speaking hospital is situated in the French speaking part of Montreal and has mainly French speaking staff and clientèle, the English hospital has mainly English speaking staff and clientèle, and so on. Most of the English hospitals in Montreal are really good, by the way, and because of a smaller population are not overcrowded, not like the ones in the French ones anyway.
Just when Couillard left, we learned that his plan for building the new hospital in Saint-Luc sucks. Well, great! I was against it at first, but now I think we might as well build it in Outremont and get done with it.
I don't know, maybe it's just me but I'd rather go to a hospital I know will give me the best care, language be damned! lol
And that quote from the politician? priceless...
Can't they just make sure they have both French and English speakng healthcare providers oon hand at every hospital?
LOL...I always laugh at your posts about Montreal. And I always make my husband read them, he completely agreed with the french and english hospital much to my chargrin.
Jinkies. 10-12 hours in the emergency room?
I didn't think anything could make the US healthcare system look good.
I was wrong.
urban animal-People will naturally prefer to get services in their mothertongue. I have been to English and French speaking hospitals and while I am bilingual, it is more reassuring and practical to communicate in your mothertongue. There are many bilingual staff members in both hospitals (this is Montreal after all). But the geographical situation of the hospital will influence the number and origins of the people going there, obviously. And given the population of Montreal and its status of metropole in Quebec, we need both hospitals, both should be state of the art, both should be efficient, modern, have great specialists, etc. Former minister of Healthcare promessed us Saint-Luc was going to be like this, it will sadly not be the case.
ah, the joys of beauracracy at work! It makes me feel all fuzzy inside.
Ticknart - I wish it was baguette!! Actually in Quebec (well, Montreal really) you have both French and English hospitals since there are enough anglos to support them. Both work in both languages... Just another layer of bureaucracy.
Guillaume - um... yeah.
UA - I think you get the same level of care in both. Why they don't just do a super duper super hospital that all the universities can use is beyond me. But I'm sure both sides are against it.
Citizen - they pretty much do. But we like to keep things complicated.
TG - Most people do. Neither side will compromise.
Joce - this morning on the radio, they were saying certain hospitals have more like an 18-20 hour wait. For some reason, more emergencies are coming in.
Guillaume - Aren't you supposed to comment on people's posts, rather than hijack their comment section to answer comments they got? Just sayin'
Rachel - Make sure the fuzziness isn't some sort of bug. And if it is, don't come to montreal to get it fixed...
Dead on about hijackers! They should be shot down in flames...or you should have them take a very close look at your ex-oven ;-)
"Aren't you supposed to comment on people's posts, rather than hijack their comment section to answer comments they got? Just sayin'"
I am sorry, I thought we could comment on the comments, and give a bit of explanation about the situation as well.
Pirate - ????
Guillaume - Blog etiquette. You can comment on other people's comments but usually people keep it short, or go onto email. No problem.
If you're fluently bilingual, which one do you go to?
sooo stay well unil 2025.
Ian - You flip a coin and hope for the best.
Hagel - Um.. yeah. I work in construction and it never works out as planned. Evah!
Uh oh - I didn't know there were commenter rules...I just was wondering how things get like this (the hospital silliness, not the commenter rules). Most human beings aren't completey obtuse, so who are the people behind some of this inane decisions? It's just not possible that all obtuse people get jobs as heads of some decision-making thing, is it?
XUP - Ever heard of the Peter Principle? You work in government, you must run into this all the time.
jazz, if you allow me to break the etiquette for a moment...
Guillaume when you say "People will naturally prefer to get services in their mothertongue. I have been to English and French speaking hospitals and while I am bilingual, it is more reassuring and practical to communicate in your mothertongue."
People? How do you know people will naturally prefer that option? You know all people? Well, I must be *the* weird one. FYI I'm also fully bilingual, born and bred (in Montreal-Nord no less lol) and have been in Toronto since 1984. So I fully understand both languages. I don't think I'd find it any more comforting to have services in my mothertongue to be honest. To me, getting the best care is what's important, not to have it en francais ou en anglais, but then that's just me.
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