Montreal, June 30, 2022 - Doctors of the World Canada is responding to the report by the R\u00e9gie de l\u2019assurance maladie du Qu\u00e9bec (RAMQ) on pregnant women without health coverage, submitted today to the Minister of Health and Social Services, Christian Dub\u00e9, which presents possible solutions for better care of pregnant women with precarious migratory status.<\/p>\n
\"Just like the Minister of Health, we will analyze the solutions proposed in this report, but we hope that a humane and fair decision will be made for the thousands of pregnant women who experience their pregnancy and the birth of their baby in anxiety and precariousness. These women actively contribute to our society, and Doctors of the World will continue to collaborate with the Government of Quebec to ensure that no one is left behind when it comes to the right to health,\" says Nadja Pollaert, Executive Director of Doctors of the World Canada.<\/p>\n
The four solutions proposed in this report are:<\/p>\n
Doctors of the World is concerned about some of the report\u2019s recommendations and hopes at the very least that the solution of providing access to medical services and medications required for pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care will be adopted by the Minister of Health.<\/p>\n
Studies show that the lack of health coverage has a disproportionate impact on women with precarious migratory status and their children, imposing an economic burden that puts them in a situation of financial precariousness with significant consequences on other determinants of health, such as housing, food insecurity, or social exclusion, in addition to having serious repercussions on public health (risk of development and spread of infectious diseases and STBBIs).<\/p>\n
In March 2022, Doctors of the World submitted a brief<\/a> to the working committee led by the RAMQ, recommending that the Government of Quebec act without delay to guarantee, for all women living in Quebec, coverage under public health insurance and drug plans for care related to pregnancy, as well as other essential sexual and reproductive health services.<\/p>\n The Need to Go Beyond Pregnancy<\/strong><\/p>\n Doctors of the World reminds us that the right to health for women cannot be limited to the time when they are pregnant.<\/p>\n \"We must take care of a woman\u2019s overall health, whether she is carrying a baby or not, whether she decides to keep it or not. Difficulties in accessing abortion and contraception increase the number of unwanted pregnancies. A woman is much more than a uterus, and if abortion is a choice, it is also an essential service,\" says Dr. Michel Welt, obstetrician-gynecologist and volunteer at the Doctors of the World Clinic.<\/p>\n It is therefore essential to implement solutions to also guarantee coverage for other essential services beyond perinatal care that women need throughout their lives, such as care related to pregnancy termination, family planning, and services for victims of violence, as well as those related to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) and gynecological cancers.<\/p>\n Strong Consensus from a Broad Coalition of Organizations and Professionals<\/strong><\/p>\n The exceptional mobilization of numerous organizations, institutions, and professionals working in the fields of law, immigration, health, and social services demonstrates how much the recommendations contained in the brief<\/a> by Doctors of the World are now widely agreed upon and that there is an urgent need to act. All agree that these needs are interdependent and that it is fundamental for this coverage to ensure a continuum of care and essential services in sexual and reproductive health according to best practices, while respecting medical ethics and deontology.<\/p>\n To date, over 70 endorsements of the Doctors of the World brief have been gathered, and renowned institutions in Quebec, such as the medical faculties of the Universit\u00e9 de Montr\u00e9al, Universit\u00e9 de Sherbrooke, Universit\u00e9 Laval, and McGill University, have expressed their support to the Minister of Health. Professional associations such as the Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Quebec and the Association of Family Physicians in Perinatal Care of Quebec have also added their voices.<\/p>\n A Clear Legal Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n Doctors of the World Canada also commissioned four experienced human rights lawyers to produce an analysis on the rights of migrant women with precarious status and their access to health care and services in Quebec. The conclusion of this analysis is unequivocal.<\/p>\n The four lawyers are calling on the Government of Quebec to remedy this situation, which violates the rights of migrant women with precarious status and endangers their health as well as the health of their children.<\/p>\n