Doctors in Quebec who choose not to remain in the public system for 5 years are subject to a daily fine of $200,000.
Quebec’s health minister has introduced a bill that mandates new doctors trained in the province to work in Quebec’s public health network for the first five years of their careers.
Doctors who choose to work in the private sector or relocate outside Quebec during this period could face fines of up to $200,000 per day.
Health Minister Christian Dubé believes that this bill is necessary to address the increasing number of doctors leaving the public system for private practice.
He argues that the government invests between $435,000 and $790,000 on each new doctor’s training, including their residency, and therefore, it is their responsibility to serve the people who funded their education.
The province has observed a 70% rise in the number of doctors exclusively working in the private sector since 2020, particularly among new doctors.
Opposition parties in the legislature have expressed their support for the bill, although it will not be reviewed until the next session begins in January.
An official for Dubé mentioned last month that 400 out of 2,536 doctors who completed their studies between 2015 and 2017 have left Quebec for other places.
Currently, there are 2,355 doctors trained in Quebec practicing in Ontario, with 1,675 of them having attended McGill University.