The Quebec government announced Tuesday it would invest $300 million in health and social services over three years thanks to an economic surplus of $2.2 billion.
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Health Minister Gaétan Barrette said he plans to invest the new funds into improving services in long-term care facilities.
He recently came under criticism for allowing 14 hospitals, including two in Montreal, to restrict baths to once a week and use dehydrated potatoes to feed patients.
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“When we’re talking about [potatoes] it’s as if every day, three times a day, people were eating powdered potatoes,” Barrette said.
“That happened at one point in time in some areas when the cost of vegetables rose momentarily to high levels and some hospitals did have to make a decision … select a product compared to another one because of cost.”
Barrette added Wednesday that if the price of produce begins to fluctuate again, the facilities could start using dehydrated potatoes again.
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“What are we to do?,” Barrette said.
“Are we supposed to react then you and I would react … it doesn’t mean that we cannot improve the situation. I think we can and we will.”
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