Minister to meet with Santé Québec amid discussions on postponing digital platform

The cybersecurity minister is warning that Santé Quebec's digital platform is not yet ready ahead of its planned launch next month.

There are several issues surrounding the Digital Health Record (DSN) that concern Gilles Bélanger, Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital Affairs.

He will meet with Santé Québec next week to discuss whether or not it would be preferable to postpone its rollout, which is scheduled for May 9.

“We’ll have meetings next week, and maybe we’ll decide to postpone, maybe not,” said Bélanger on Friday, noting that he meets with Santé Québec every week.

“My colleague [Health Minister] Sonia Bélanger and I are here to provide information on the issues, risks, and potential solutions. And if we don’t have answers to all our questions, our recommendation will be not to move forward on the 9th [of May],” explained Bélanger during a press scrum on the sidelines of the Première ligne en santé (PLS) conference.

Erika Bially, vice-president of information technology at Santé Québec, who was also present at the PLS conference, was firm on the May 9 date. She maintains that everything is in place to launch the DSN safely.

Bially also assured that the relationship with the Ministry of Cybersecurity and Digital Affairs remains strong. “We will discuss this with Minister Bélanger and his team, but there are no conflicts between us, not at all.”

Patient Data Protection

The DSN is a major project that will transform the health-care system by moving away from paper and consolidating IT systems. All patient clinical data will be accessible in a single location, which will greatly facilitate the work of doctors and other healthcare professionals.

Minister Bélanger is particularly concerned about the protection of Quebecers’ health data, since an American company, Epic Systems, is responsible for implementing the DSN.

“We will require each ministry or agency to demonstrate, when they undertake a digital transformation, that sensitive data is protected,” he stated.

Bially noted that data from the Quebec health-care network, including patient data, will be hosted in Montreal and Toronto. “So we are certain there are no issues in that regard,” she emphasized.

She added that there are many safeguards in place to enhance security. “Some data is encrypted, so we’ve really put in place key security measures to ensure the protection of our citizens’ data.”

Bélanger specified that if the only issue were the lack of data sovereignty, he would be comfortable with the launch of the two pilot projects on May 9.

“If that were the only data-related issue, I’d be ready to give the go-ahead,” he said. He does not have the authority to postpone the DSN; he can only advise Santé Québec or conduct audits.

Service disruptions

Among Bélanger’s other concerns are delays in health-care services. “If it takes an extra hour to prepare a prescription or transfer a file, we need to understand what the impact will be on the entire service chain,” he noted.

He fears service disruptions and bed closures in hospitals.

“If there’s a transition [...] lasting two to three weeks, that might be acceptable. For now, I’m not sure,” he said.

Bélanger would also like to discuss “on-the-job training” with Santé Québec. “I spoke with [Sonia Bélanger] this morning, and there are concerns regarding the training of those who will be using the DSN. Because it is, after all, a system that will be used and will have an impact on service delivery. If service is slowed down... we already want to improve service,” he emphasized.

Bially offered an explanation. “That’s why we’ve reduced the volume—to minimize the risk to citizens. So we’re doing this precisely to reduce risks because some people will take a little longer at first to get the hang of [the system]. These are the first few weeks they’ll be using the system. That means performance will drop slightly before picking up again,” the vice-president concludes.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 10, 2026.

Katrine Desautels, The Canadian Press

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