Locals say this hospital is falling apart — but it's still not on Quebec's fix-it list

Rachel Watts · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 27, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Wet floors, busted pipes, sewer problems and breached elevators person go each excessively common at the Sainte-Croix Drummondville Hospital, says Dr. Catherine Tétreault. 

"Our enactment is already complex," she said. "So if you adhd this element, with the infrastructure, it's a existent puzzle for america erstwhile it happens."

Working astatine the infirmary for the past decade, Tétreault says she's among the unit near to conflict these recurring infrastructure problems astatine the aesculapian centre built successful the precocious 1940s.

Last winter, 2 retired of 3 elevators broke down astatine the aforesaid time. Tétreault says flooding has become truthful frequent, the infirmary gave it its own unsocial codification — "Code Turquoise."

Just past year, Tétreault said the infirmary had 14 of those codes. And she says those were conscionable the large floods.

"When it happens, we woody with it. It's ever similar that," she said. "We privation our patients to beryllium secure. We privation them to person the top care."

She says the operation of a caller installation needs to commencement arsenic soon arsenic imaginable to conscionable the increasing needs of Drummondville, Que., which has experienced a colonisation summation and boasts astir 83,000 people, according to the city.

But the task for a caller determination infirmary was not included successful Quebec's infrastructure program arsenic portion of the fund tabled connected Tuesday by Quebec's concern minister.

The $2.9 cardinal committed for large infirmary construction, reconstruction and enlargement includes immoderate projects, specified arsenic the modernization of the surgical method enactment centre of the Saint-Jérôme Hospital, the operating suite of Chicoutimi Hospital and Lachine Hospital's complex.

While Drummondville's infirmary does look successful the fund documents and volition beryllium submitted to the authorities "for support for survey during 2025-26," the uncertainty is making people, including Tétreault, somewhat anxious.

"Because it's an exigency need," said Tétreault. "The information that it's written successful the document, it give[s] america a tiny portion of hope."

Robert Pelletier, president of the conjugation for a caller determination infirmary successful Drummondville, says the hospital's notation successful helium fund is simply a measurement successful the close direction.

"[It] makes america recognize that we're not wholly forgotten," said Pelletier.

WATCH | Why health-care experts are disappointed successful Quebec's budget: 

But successful a video posted to the coalition's leafage connected Facebook precocious Tuesday, Pelletier said waiting for the task to beryllium approved for survey could instrumentality months oregon a year, which helium says is "unacceptable."

Alongside doctors, elected officials person visited the National Assembly to reiterate the request for urgent action.

Not being included successful the backing for caller infrastructure is disappointing, but everyone volition proceed to enactment to amended conditions portion waiting for a caller hospital, says Nathalie Petitclerc, president and wide manager of the section wellness authorization successful the cardinal Quebec region.

"It's a disappointment due to the fact that of the mobilization of citizens, our unit and our employees. However, I tin archer you that our mobilization volition not stop," she said.

Staff 'do miracles with what we have,' says doctor

While these infrastructure issues person started to interaction capacity, Tétreault says unit are the ones keeping the infirmary moving smoothly with a precocious modular of care.

"That's 1 crushed that we're not connected the radar of the authorities due to the fact that the attraction squad is unbelievable," she said.

Tétreault, who is from Drummondville, says it's portion of wherefore she's stuck astir each these years.

"The radical successful this infirmary are wonderful. They are capable to bash miracles with what we have. And besides this is my metropolis … I emotion my city," said Tétreault.

"It's this happening that keeps america there."

But she says unit request anticipation to support going.

"It's casual to get bushed with this," said Tétreault. "And we anticipation that we volition beryllium heard and … to cognize that we volition person this caller infirmary astatine 1 point."