Cataract surgeries will resume in Châteauguay
The Châteauguay Hospital has the worst record of any hospital in the Montérégie for cataract surgery. (Photo:Deposit photos)
Ophthalmologists from the Centre Intégré de Santé et de Services Sociaux de la Montérégie-Ouest (CISSSMO) will be able to resume eye surgeries in Châteauguay as of mid-October thanks to the establishment of a specialized medical clinic. These operations had not been offered in the municipality for two years due to a lack of manpower.
Translation Amanda Bennett
In August, the CISSSMO awarded a $1.5 million contract to a company owned by Dr. Pierre St-Michel. He will manage the clinic and provide the necessary staff, explained Jade St-Jean, CISSSMO’s Senior Communications Advisor. “But it will be our doctors from the Anna-Laberge and Suroît hospitals who will practise there,” she added.
2 years without service
The clinic will be located in the Centre de Santé Desjardins, which is adjacent to the Anna-Laberge Hospital. It had been inaugurated with great fanfare in 2018. It boasts new premises and state-of-the-art equipment. At the time, the Ministry of Health committed to investing $693,993 annually for 10 years to cover rental costs. The CISSSMO had been paying rent for months without offering the service. Dr. St-Michel’s clinic is taking over the lease,” said Ms. St-Jean.
Cataract operations had ceased in the summer of 2020. “During the pandemic offloading, the operating room staff concentrated on priority surgeries such as oncology,” explained Ms. St-Jean.
Because there was no nurse available, the service never resumed. Patients from the region were redirected to a clinic in Brossard, but the time slots were limited since they were shared among many doctors in the Montérégie.
“This is really good news because it will help us meet our deadlines and ensure that our patients’ surgeries are performed,” said the CISSSMO spokesperson.
Worst waiting record
The Châteauguay Hospital has the worst record of any hospital in the Montérégie for cataract surgery. The average wait time is 36 weeks (9 months), double the regional average of 18 weeks, according to data published by the Ministry of Health. As of September 18, 1,331 Anna Laberge Hospital patients are on the list.