“It is surprising to us that we still seem to want to target young doctors with these restrictive measures, which would also have discriminatory effects,” retorted the president of the FMRQ, Ghassen Soufi, to the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, following the minister's announcement that he wanted to table a bill to force young doctors to practice in the public sector at the start of their practice.
Read the full response from Dr. Ghassen Soufi sent to Minister Dubé on November 4, 2024:
It is clear that we will need to see the details of the measures before we can comment further. The vast majority of our members choose to work in the public sector once they begin their practice. It is surprising to us that we still seem to want to target young doctors with these restrictive measures, which would also have discriminatory effects. If it is a question of revitalizing our health system, it would be irresponsible to place this burden only on young doctors entering practice, and any new rule should also apply to all health professions in Quebec. We also share the concerns of the Minister of Health regarding the importance of a strong and efficient public health system. The FMRQ obviously remains willing to discuss with the Minister to find solutions to any difficulty in attractiveness that the public system may have.
Ghassen Soufi, M.D.,C.M.
PGY-5 Psychiatry
McGill University