Quebec’s professional order of physicians is calling for an immediate suspension of a provincial law that ties doctors’ pay to performance targets and threatens punitive damages over actions that affect patient care.
In an open letter Friday, the college says the law will have the opposite effect to what the government intends, adding that it will damage the health-care system and reduce accessibility.
The Quebec government says the reforms are necessary to improve access to care as 1.5 million Quebecers don’t have a family doctor. Passed one week ago, the law has faced strong opposition from the province’s doctor federations, which have denounced measures to end their pressure tactics.
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Doctors could face fines of up to $20,000 a day if they take “concerted actions” such as deciding in groups of three or more to refuse to teach students or to leave the province.
The controversy has upended the government of Premier François Legault, with Lionel Carmant resigning as social services minister this week in protest of the law.
On Friday, medical schools at Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Montréal, Université de Laval and McGill University said their students voted in favour of strike mandates.
As well, the federation representing medical specialists has filed a request in Superior Court for a provisional stay of the law, which will be heard next week.
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