nephrology

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

than 10,000 signatures is calling on the Quebec government to establish a nephrologist position at the Gaspé Peninsula Integrated Health and Social Services Centre. 

The Gaspé Peninsula is one of the only regions in Quebec, alongside Northern Quebec, without a dedicated specialist. 

Jean Lapointe, the driving force behind the petition, has been fighting for a decade for the development of such a service in the Gaspé Peninsula. 

On November 15, he submitted the petition to Gaspé riding Member of the National Assembly (MNA), Stéphane Sainte-Croix. 

After successfully forcing the Quebec government to set up hemodialysis rooms in all hospitals in the region, Mr. Lapointe is putting pressure on the government again to have kidney disease specialists located in the Gaspé Peninsula. It would be better than having to travel to Rimouski to meet them. 

Currently, Gaspesians must go to the Centre Hospitalier in Rimouski to be seen by a nephrologist. 

“I have to go to Rimouski twice a year. It takes me 9 hours to get there for 30 minutes in the office,” says Jean Lapointe, who lives in Gaspé, to justify his request. 

“I might have had more signatures, but the CISSS removed them from the institutions,” he says. 

“I will never be happy. I could have had 500,000. I would have been happy. But I have more than 10% of the region’s citizens,” he says. 

“I will fight until I die. I think of the people that need it. I have had kidney disease for 27 years. I am at stage 4. I do not stop there,” he mentions. 

Although Mr. Lapointe does not yet need the hemodialysis service, he points out that there are about fifty patients receiving treatment in the Gaspé Peninsula. 

“I think there is something strong as a message. We are starting with the petition. We will submit it in due form to the National Assembly. It will make its way to the Ministry of Health and its parliamentary committee,” indicates the MNA. 

The 15-day process will still be launched to see if the parliamentary work will move forward on the subject. 

“I think that 10,000 citizens taking the time to sign a petition at the health service level is a strong message. With the status of an aging population, the oldest in Quebec, two orphan regions, I think we have interesting arguments and especially very real needs to move forward with the project,” says Mr. Sainte-Croix. 

Quebec currently has 211 nephrologist positions in Quebec, with about 15 vacant positions. 

“What I learned is that there is a need within the aging population and for patient mobility,” concludes the elected official. 

The wording of the bilingual document states that “whereas the region covered by the CISSS de la Gaspésie is the only one in Quebec not to have a nephrologist assigned to its territory by the Medical Staffing Plan (PEM); whereas patients requiring follow-up by a nephrologist must travel to Rimouski to obtain an in-person meeting, forcing them to travel long hours; we, the signatories, ask the Quebec government to add at least one nephrologist position for the Gaspésie territory in the PEM.” 

Mr. Lapointe has been gathering signatures since June, travelling all over the region to collect these signatures. 

In April, the CISSS of Gaspé Peninsula indicated that it was considering the possibility of serving the four centres located in Maria, Chandler, Gaspé and Sainte-Anne-des-Monts. 

The President and CEO, Martin Pelletier, indicated at the time that the volume of activity did not justify the presence of such a full-time specialist, adding that telemedicine was well-developed. 

However, the number of people who have needs is increasing and there may come a time when demand will justify it. 

There are currently around 40 hemodialysis treatment seats available throughout the Gaspé Peninsula.