Montreal, April 6, 2006 – Since April 1, 2006, Le Protecteur du citoyen has had the responsibility of accepting and handling complaints with regard to the healthcare and social services network from citizens who have exhausted their other forms of recourse. It can intervene with network establishments when citizens express dissatisfaction with the services they received or feel they were treated unfairly.
To make this new responsibility official, the staff of Le Protecteur du citoyen is meeting today at Auberge St-Gabriel in Montreal. The interim Protector, Ms.Micheline McNicoll, will preside over a swearing-in ceremony for the Health and Social Services Ombudsman employees, who are teaming up with Le Protecteur du citoyen following amendments to the Act respecting Health Services and Social Services.
For the interim Protector, this consolidation is good news for citizens: “Citizens will now be able to file their complaints at a single body independent of the executive branch. What’s more, the accumulated knowledge that Health and Social Services Ombudsman employees are bringing with them will be a great help as we pursue our mandate.”
For more information on citizens’ rights under the Act respecting Health Services and Social Services as well as the areas of jurisdiction where Le Protecteur du citoyen can take action, please visit the website www.protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca.
