Outaouais fears losing doctors, nurses to Ottawa hospitals

Hospitals in Ottawa are luring doctors and nurses away from western Quebec, where they are already very scarce, Outaouais region health lobbyists say.

Marthe Robitaille, spokeswoman for a group thatpushes for solutions to health care problems in the Outaouais, said the shortage of doctors and nurses in the region is forecast to worsenthis summer, and recruiting by Ottawa hospitals is making the problem worse by drawing health care professionals over the Ottawa River to Ontario.

"Call it a brain drain," said Robitaille, who is with theUrgence de l'Outaouais phase 2 coalition. "We have quite a few doctors and nurses that have crossed, because they get better pay, and so they're ready to lose their seniority to go across."

Outaouais nurses union president Elizabeth Leduc said she is worried Quebec nurses are being lured by Ottawa's bilingual Montfort hospital, which is expanding and offering more specialities.

"We can't afford this anymore," she said. "We [have] such a big shortage of staff that we won't be able to function too long."

Denis Chauret, director of Montfort hospital's continuing medical education office, said the hospital is not specifically targeting Quebec doctors and nurses, but needs more medical staff.

"Like everywhere else, the resources are missing," he said. "Montfort is recruiting actively right now."

He added that Montfort will be ready to provide French services to Quebecers if Outaouais emergency rooms are overstretched.

Robitaille said the situation in the region's hospitals will only get worse if Quebec medical professionals and patients look increasingly toward Ontario hospitals for work and services.