Following the ram truck attack in Amqui on March 13 that left three people dead and eight injured, the prime minister vowed to strengthen the government's medical evacuation service.
“We have already announced new services we will be launching; We already have an aircraft, but it will be helicopters, because in fact helicopters can provide better services,” assured François Legault during a press conference.
But since then, the Coalition Avenir Québec has made little or no changes, laments Christian Daigle, president general of the Quebec Public and Parapublic Service Union.
“We are still at the same point as before the incident. Nothing has happened and we have been calling for a modernization of the fleet and new equipment for years,” he emphasizes.
Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault assures that the government is actively working on the file.
“We are in discussions with my colleagues about renewing the fleet,” she said.
According to TVA Nouvelles, research for a Challenger 601 3R began on May 16, 2023.
Seven Challengers 601 3Rs have been identified, approximately thirty years old.
“It is very unlikely that the research will find a device that meets all the criteria set by the ministry’s teams,” the document says.
Christian Daigle is concerned that there are “obsolete” devices in the province that are reaching the end of their lifespan, that can no longer be repaired and that are no longer allowed to fly after a certain number of years. “Hours”.
The pilots leave the ship
Retaining pilots is also a major problem for the government.
As of January 19, 2024, 28 pilots were still qualified for the two medical shuttles, eight fewer than in April 2023.
As TVA Nouvelles learned, the pilots left the company and have been working for commercial lines ever since.
As of April 2023, there were 43 pilots in the province.
“There is staff turnover because working conditions do not meet the requirements,” complains Mr. Daigle, who points out that the problem does not stop at the attention of the technicians, who have to contend not only with difficult working conditions but also with outdated equipment.
For example, an employee had to purchase a device from a museum in order to make repairs.
Start tenders
The MP for Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Joël Arseneau, calls on the government to move forward with the tenders.
“Once you order the device, it takes three years, and it takes another year and a half to equip it. Where does this leave us in 2030? “It is certain that there are lives there that are threatened,” he worries.