Questioning the place of McGill

In today's Le Devoir, we see the continuation of an ongoing debate over the place of the McGill University Health Centre:

Le CUSM, l'hôpital de tous les Québécois?: Il y a deux solutions possibles : la première est de réduire la place du CUSM dans la recherche en santé au Québec, en transférant des ressources au CHUM, au CHUL et au CHUS. Le CUSM retrouverait alors sa vocation première qui est d'offrir des services en anglais à la minorité anglophone.

La deuxième solution est de mener à terme la logique d'intégration et de faire du CUSM un véritable établissement québécois. Cela implique d'imposer le français comme langue de travail au CUSM et de garantir une représentation équitable des francophones à tous les échelons de la hiérarchie.

This opinion article is claiming that McGill's health system absorbs too many resources from the federal and provincial governments for the people the author believes it serves: Quebec anglophones.  Also, the health system sends too many of its students outside the province after graduation.  Hence, he is proposing that its funding be reduced (so that it serves the small number of Quebec anglos only) or be forced to become a francophone institution like every other Quebec hospital.

This follows after an article by McGill officials defending the place of their hospital in Quebec by arguing that many of its staff are francophone and that it is well-integrated into the Quebec health community.  And, in turn, it was a response to another opinion article suggesting that McGill's hospital be merged with the Université de Montréal's hospital.

I won't comment too much on this article, except to say that it's interesting that the place of anglophones and anglophone institutions in Quebec is still in question--even though both "anti-McGill" authors hasten to add how important it is for there to be some anglophone service.  One irony is that the author of this article is studying abroad.  Also, this is almost the same variety of argument used by people in the ROC against, say, funding Radio-Canada in Vancouver (it's not quite the same, though).  I also note that the McGill officials didn't seem to emphasize, interestingly, what they really must have been thinking: that their hospital, by virtue of being anglo and prestigious, is Quebec's real international hospital.

Minor update: "un véritable établissement québécois".  ie, a "real Quebec institution."  This is to be achieved via making it mostly a francophone institution.  This is technically and trivially correct, and may actually be the just path as well.  However, Quebec nationalists (though the author doesn't directly imply he is one) often repeatedly emphasize that Quebec anglos are real Quebeckers.  Maybe I'm nitpicking but the choice of language is interesting: an anglo institution is not, apparently, a real Quebec institution.  Which, again, is neither here nor there, but assuming the author has the sentiments I think he does, is still an interesting admission.

Comments

[Case]

In my hometown of Québec City, they did exactly that to the Jeffrey Hale hospital. It was the only hospital which had a majority of English-speaking staff for the English-speaking minority in Québec City, so they did downsize it and transferred many of its services to St-Sacrement (which is down the street from the Jeff) and the CHUL (Université Laval's hospital).

Now, the Jeff still has many basic hospital services but lacks specialised care. At least, I think they do geriatrics, but don't quote that as a certainty.

But what it ultimately did is by branding the hospital as a "hôpital d'anglais" they reduced wait times considerably. If I ever have something looked after through the emergency ward, I go there. I may end up having to be transferred to another hospital, but I get treated quickly. Meanwhile, wait times in places like the CHUL are ridiculously long. Smart? I don't think so: there are facilities and staff available to help out, but the "branding" of the hospital is keeping people in need of care away.

And, you probably know this, but Le Devoir is a pro-sovereignty newspaper which enjoys dividing the "two solitudes" further and further. Because it's considered an intellectual's newspaper, it has a tendency to create debates where there aren't really any.

[Mandos]

Yes I know that about Le Devoir. Why do you think I read it?

[Case]

For its commanding Quark skills?

[Mandos]

I don't get the paper edition down here, only the web version, and then only the free articles unless I decide to hack through the university databases.