Retired doctors paid $125 an hour to vaccinate

I did not expect to be paid. I was very surprised , says the one who practices injections in a clinic in Joliette.

The Federation of General Practitioners of Quebec (FMOQ) confirms that the hourly rate is indeed $125 for doctors still registered on the roll of their professional order, whether active or inactive.

More than 2,000 retired doctors are still on the roll of the order, according to the College of Physicians.

Despite their experience, physicians must still receive paid training lasting three hours, at the same hourly rate.

We asked the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) why it is not possible to become a volunteer vaccinator.

The obligations raised arise from labor law or the collective agreements of the network , explains the spokesperson for the MSSS, Robert Maranda.

Volunteering is also not permitted for active or retired nurses. They receive compensation based on their job title and experience.

For example, a retired practical nurse can earn a maximum of $30 an hour and will have to pay union dues.

For example, it is possible to give time to welcoming people, helping to fill out the consent form or even post-vaccination vigilance.

$37 per hour for doctors who are no longer registered with the order

In the context of the pandemic, a ministerial decree allows any holder of a medical doctor's degree to become a vaccinator. People in this case are paid $37 per hour, according to an agreement between the FMOQ and the MSSS.

If he absolutely must be paid, Gilles Bourgeois would prefer to have a symbolic amount, equal to the other workers .

This is what managed to get another retired doctor who asked that her name be withheld so as not to alienate her colleagues.

After insisting, she will be paid $33 an hour instead of $125, even though she is still on the order board.

For equal work, equal pay , says the one who would have preferred to act as a volunteer.

When she has paid her taxes, this doctor will donate her pay to charity.

Gilles Bourgeois also thinks about it. I will decide what I will do with this amount, which I do not need , he said.

There is no one who does this to withdraw a pecuniary interest , says the spokesperson for the FMOQ, Jean-Pierre Dion. The latter explains that $125 per hour corresponds to the hourly rate of a CLSC doctor.

The Federation of Medical Specialists fears exaggeration

Vincent Oliva, President of the FMSQ

Photo: Radio Canada

On Thursday, the new president of the Federation of Medical Specialists of Quebec (FMSQ), Vincent Oliva, wrote to his member associations to warn them about participation in vaccination.

The FMSQ asks its members to focus their efforts on providing specialized care, which has already been greatly delayed by the pandemic and load shedding.

If medical specialists still want to participate in the vaccination campaign, the Federation recommends that they do so outside of their usual hours of practice and on a voluntary basis , without remuneration or compensation .

When we pointed out to the FMSQ that it is impossible to vaccinate as a volunteer, we were told: The fact that it is not possible does not concern us .

In his letter, the president of the FMSQ specifies that volunteering is not a directive on his part.

Each of the medical specialists must be able to have the freedom to charge for the service as provided for in the tariff manual , he writes.

Scandal in France: $4,500 for a vaccination weekend

Doctors paid on a fee-for-service basis to vaccinate in clinics created a scandal in France earlier this month. Even if everything is legal, the large sums pocketed have created unease (New window) in the medical profession and among the other health professionals called upon to vaccinate alongside them.

The Quebec Ministry of Health was unable to tell us how many doctors have been recruited by the Je Contribute platform to participate in the vaccination effort.

Many doctors have raised their hands to do so , says the spokesperson for the Federation of General Practitioners.

In January, at the request of the government, the FMOQ called on retirees to contribute to the vaccination campaign against COVID-19.

Quebec can count on 12,000 vaccinators, including various trades, including veterinarians and dental hygienists.

But the government would like even more reinforcements, especially with the summer holidays on the horizon. I think we would take all the people who still want to register , said the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, Thursday. We will never have too many people to come and help us.