Lack of Gatineau sexual health clinic criticized by activists, doctors
Ottawa Public Health stopped checking most Quebec residents last year
West Quebec sexual health advocates are asking the province to help open a walk-in clinic in Gatineau, saying people living there don't have good access to testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The Bureau Régional d'Action Sida de l'Outaouais (BRAS) wrote to Quebec Health Minister Gaétan Barrette about this issue in February, but only sent the letter to the media last week.
The HIV/AIDS non-profit said the lack of access to sexual health resources in west Quebec is putting people's health at risk.
Ottawa Public Health stopped testing most Quebec residents last year and a walk-in Gatineau clinic lasted only a few months before closing in February.
The doctor who ran that short-lived clinic by himself said the only way for residents in Gatineau to get tested for an STI is through a family doctor or emergency room, which don't offer specialized care, or by driving to outlying areas such as Papineauville or Wakefield.
"It's a bit of a bizarre situation where people in the rural areas have better access to service than in the urban area," said Dr. Rémi De Champlain, a family doctor who focuses on sexual health.
De Champlain said they need a clinic because the city is nearing a "social health crisis" but a vastly different scenario is well within reach.
"Just last year in Ottawa there were 4,000 visits of Quebec patients wanting to get STI testing in Ottawa, so that's 4,000 occasions to test for these that aren't going to happen," he said.
"There are so many STIs going on, if nothing is done the amount of people with infertility problems, problems with HIV is going to be overwhelming just in this region. There is so much progress and we have so many tools now with medication… It would be ridiculous to be a victim of all these complications that are so easy to fix."
Health agency meets Tuesday
Ottawa Public Health said in the past they would take basically anyone who came in but last summer they started to redirect people to their local sexual health resource centre.
However, they said they won't turn down anyone with an urgent need for treatment.
Hull MNA Maryse Gaudreault said finding resources for STIs is a challenge, especially in her area.
"I've been speaking with (community organizations) and I'll make sure to bring this issue to the health minister and make sure there's a strategy to give services to that special clientele," she said.
The local health and social services centre, the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l'Outaouais, said Monday it's aware there's a need for these services in the region and is having an internal meeting about it on Tuesday.
With files from Jean-Sebastien Marier