Quebec Shakeup Threatens Transplant Program and Lives
November 10, 2025 — by Transplant News
WORLD NEWS – CANADA: Quebec’s plan to dissolve Transplant Quebec and fold its responsibilities into another provincial agency has put the province’s organ transplantation system on an uncertain path, patients and clinicians say. The proposal, advanced in Bill 7 introduced by Treasury Board President Freranso, would move organ donation and transplantation services away from the specialized body that now runs them. The change is scheduled to take effect on April 1st, a timeline that critics say leaves little room for a safe transition.
Bill 7 is presented as a cost-saving measure aimed at consolidating roughly a dozen government bodies to save millions of dollars. Under the legislation, a larger provincial agency is slated to assume the organ donation role currently managed by Transplant Quebec. Officials supporting the shift say they intend to retain Transplant Quebec’s expertise within the new structure, but the precise mechanics of how the integration will work and who will manage time-sensitive operations have not been clarified.
Patients who have depended on Transplant Quebec expressed alarm. Linda Peredi, a double lung transplant recipient nine years ago, described the life-saving impact of that transplantation and warned that the proposed abolition of the agency could endanger people now on waiting lists. Transplant Quebec itself said it was stunned by the decision and rejected suggestions of inefficiency or poor performance, arguing that its staff have been fully engaged in delivering critical services.
Clinicians outlined the practical risks of a rushed organizational overhaul. Dr. Michelle Lier cautioned that organ donation and transplantation require tightly coordinated, highly technical work on compressed timelines, and she said the agency designated to absorb those duties lacks established experience in organ programs. With details of the merger unresolved, advocates, patients, and health workers worry that the transition period could create operational gaps that jeopardize timely access to transplantation.
