It was not our intention to offer condemnation of physicians in Quebec or elsewhere, and we regret that our phrasing (and its translation) invited this interpretation. The case of Claude Dufresne in Shawinigan-Sud was a tragic demonstration of the untenable stresses on emergency services in Quebec. In referring to a “broken”1 (not “betrayed”) trust, our purpose was not to pass judgement on individuals but to reflect on the damage done by such events to the relationship between physicians and society2 — a relationship that, more and more, is being mediated by economic forces. Our editorial points to many factors that have contributed to the current difficulties in Quebec and is critical of the government's legislative approach to a remedy. We welcome the open exchange of views on these issues by all stakeholders.
References
- 1.Quebec's Bill 114 [editorial]. CMAJ 2002;167 (6):617. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
- 2.See, for example, the public response reported by Jeff Heinrich in the Montreal Gazette 2002 July 26; Sect A:1.