Plea for action at Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal - Doctors at Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal criticize the deplorable state of infrastructure at the hospital

MONTREAL, June 5, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Dr. Patrick Bellemare, president of the Council of Physicians, Dentists and Pharmacists (CPDP) at Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal (HSCM) and Dr. Ronald Denis, chief of surgery, responsible for HSCM's Traumatology Program, shared their concerns today about the outdated state of aging infrastructure at the hospital.  The two spokespeople for HSCM expressed their concern about the bureaucratic lethargy impacting the construction project for the new Integrated Trauma Centre, the HSCM Mother and Child Unit and a new Endoscopy Unit, which have all nevertheless already been the subject of several ministerial announcements.

"HSCM is a hospital with medical personnel of international competence and with leading-edge technological equipment.  Nevertheless, its infrastructure is outdated.  We have been waiting for the start of renovations and construction work on the Integrated Trauma Centre for almost five years.  This wait has resulted in major costs for urgent repair work that would be put to better use in patient care.  HSCM is a supra-regional health care centre serving a territory that is experiencing explosive demographic growth, making the renovation and expansion work all the more urgent," said Dr. Bellemare.

"Health care teams at HSCM work in an unacceptable environment due to the hospital's aging facilities.  Despite the alarming state of the infrastructure and the discomfort it can cause our clientele, our teams are able to provide extraordinary care, and HSCM is one of Québec's most recognized health care centres.  By way of example, it is the quality of the care we offer that leads the elite of Formula 1 racing to work with our establishment year after year during the week of the Grand Prix du Canada," said Dr. Ronald Denis.

"The construction of the Integrated Trauma Centre, the Mother and Child Unit and the Endoscopy Unit are all projects that the teams having been waiting for for a long time," said Dr. Bellemare, adding that there is broad consensus among the medico-administrative personnel.  The project is evaluated at close to $100 million and has already received $12 million from the HSCM Foundation.  It is the first step in a major overhaul of the hospital, evaluated in total at $450 million.  This project is part of a modernization plan to allow the hospital to achieve its mission as an affiliated university hospital centre for tertiary and quaternary care, one of Quebec's major trauma centres and a primary care centre offering services to young families in neighbouring boroughs.

About the Integrated Trauma Centre
Traumatology is a major strategic service at Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, and the largest trauma centre in Montréal.  It serves both regional and provincial clienteles, particularly for medullary injuries.

The Traumatology Program's team has been treating multi-trauma victims for over 30 years, contributing to the prevention of head trauma, an injury that occurs too frequently among young adults.  Plans are to build a modern care facility that furthers the interdisciplinary work of the many teams that treat trauma patients, as well as a leading-edge simulation centre dedicated to research, teaching and the ongoing training of the multidisciplinary teams in order to develop the clinical expertise of all critical care providers.

The Integrated Trauma Centre will include a 32-bed intensive care unit that is complementary to the coronary care facility, and one floor dedicated to the hospital's university mission.  Teams will include more than 70 doctors, 300 nurses and 50 health care professionals.

Attachment:

Fact sheet; bio Dr. Patrick Bellemare; bio Dr. Ronald Denis; video

About Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal
Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal (HSCM) is a supra-regional health care, research and teaching centre and a member of the broader network of excellence in health made up of the Université de Montréal and its affiliated establishments.  It has four strategic axes: trauma - acute and critical care; cardiovascular health; respiratory health; and mental health.  It also includes two leading-edge sectors: tertiary orthopedics and bariatric surgery.  HSCM serves the population of the northern part of the Island of Montréal and the regions of Laval, the Laurentians, Lanaudière and Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

SOURCE: Dr. Patrick Bellemare and Dr. Ronald Denis

Amélie Cliche
NATIONAL Public Relations
514-843-2339
[email protected]