While Health Minister Rejean Hebert has backtracked on his decision to cut 10 of 50 beds from the Lachine Hospital, his decision to pull the hospital from the MUHC network appears to be firm after he sent a letter to MUHC officials informing them of his plan. 

The minister says he wants to reintegrate the west island hospital back into the regional health authority serving Lasalle, Dorval, and Lachine, where it was before it became affiliated with the McGill University Health Centre.

He calls it necessary to preserve the hospital's francophone vocation.

Dr. Paul Saba is the president of the council of physicians at the St-Joseph Hospital in Lachine. He says this move will jeopardize the hospital's future and put patient care at risk.

"Our position is that we want to retain our partnership with the MUHC. We are moving forward to build our hospital. The MRI is in the process of being constructed."

As for the minister's reason for wanting the seperation, Dr. Saba says it is possible for the hospital to retain its francophone status and still be a part of the MUHC family. 

"Yes he is right that we have a unique status, but we can have that status and still retain our partnership."

The borough mayor of Lachine is also upset at the decision and says it completely caught him off guard.

"McGill wasn't consulted, the CSSS wasn't consulted, we just found out, so I don't know who he consulted," says Claude Dauphin.

He agrees with Dr. Saba that language should not be an issue and isn't one.

We are getting along very well among francophones and anglophones and that's why I'm shocked to hear that they want to go back to the status quo of 5,6 years ago," he tells CJAD. 

Dr. Saba says the decision is not yet set in stone, but they will do everything they can to change the minister's mind. 

"We are making it very clear to the government that we want to stay with the MUHC."