Mandatory work in Quebec

Emile Berger

Quebec's Bill 114,1 which threatens doctors who refuse to work in emergency rooms with fines of up to $5000, should be compared with US legislation stipulating fines of up to US$50 000 for a similar infraction.2 The existence of such coercive measures in the bastion of free enterprise might come as a surprise to Canadian physicians, but that is the law south of the border.

References

1.↵
Pengelley H. Quebec's decision to draft MDs to work in ERs creates storm. CMAJ 2002;167(5): 530.
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2.↵
Fosmire MS. Frequently asked questions about the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA). In: emtala.com [Web site]. Marquette (MI): Law Offices of Garan Lucow Miller, PC; [no date]. Available: www.uplaw.net/faq.htm (accessed 2002 Sep 25).