Dozens of western Quebec patients were transferred elsewhere for medical care last year, leading to concerns that Outaouais residents could be at increased risk if they're seriously injured in an accident. But one of the issues plaguing the region is that there hasn't been a vascular surgeon in the Outaouais since last August. According to CISSSO, there's only one plastic surgeon in the region and two — soon to be three — maxillofacial surgeons. Ricardo Ruz, a vascular surgeon in Laval, Que., is particularly alarmed by the lack of vascular surgeons in the Outaouais region, given the size of the population. Gagnon said that with no vascular surgeon in the Outaouais, patients requiring urgent care may have to be transferred to Ottawa, or Montreal if their care can wait a day or two.

Source: CBC News February 24, 2026 06:04 UTC