Judge approves class-action lawsuit from veterans at Ste. Anne's Hospital
A Quebec Superior Court justice has approved a class-action lawsuit launched by veterans alleging the transfer of the veterans' hospital in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue from federal to provincial responsibility led to a serious decline in service and quality of care.
Larry Kanemy, a lawyer representing the veterans, told CBC News that the lawsuit was approved at a hearing Wednesday.
The suit alleges when the federal government transferred responsibility for the hospital to the regional health authority in Montreal's West Island in 2016, things went downhill.
"There are incompetent staff, insufficient staff, a diminution of key services," Kanemy said.
"Where they used to have in-house services with regards to medical attention, that's all been outsourced or moved out."
He said when the transfer happened, the province signed a deal promising to maintain the standard of care, and that hasn't happened.
Veterans running out of time
The lead plaintiff in the case is 96-year-old Wolf Solkin, a veteran of the Second World War.
Kanemy said he was pleased the court agreed to his request to prioritize the case, given the age of many of the veterans.
"You have to understand these are WWII and Korean War veterans, and the average age is 93 years old. By natural attrition, time is of the essence," Kanemy said.
He estimates half of the veterans living in the hospital at the time of the transfer have since died.
He said their families would receive compensation in the event the suit is successful.
He estimates the amount of the reward could be as high as $30 million.
The lawsuit is also seeking a guarantee that the standard of care at the hospital will return to the level it was at before the transfer.
