Québec physicians: Shortage of palliative care is pushing people to euthanasia

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

A group of Québec doctors held a press conference to explain that the lack of funding for palliative care in Québec is pushing people to seek death by euthanasia.

CTV news reported that the doctors stated that since MAiD was legalized access to palliative care has decreased. The doctors said that:

patients have told them that they’re choosing assisted dying because they can’t find adequate palliative care services.

Dr Paul Saba

Dr Paul Saba, was reported as saying that they want to provide the care and support that people need:

Dr. Paul Saba, a family physician who is leading the group said fewer doctors have entered the field of palliative care since the law came into effect and that patients are suffering as a result. 

“People really are feeling a burden, financial stress, psychological stress and lack of autonomy,” 

“So what we want do is we want to give people what they need, and they need care and support.”

Dr Laurence Normand-Rivest

Dr. Laurence Normand-Rivest, who specializes in  palliative care, told the press conference:

“We were promised that there would be a plan for the development of palliative care in Quebec and the [government] commission asked for five years to develop this plan,”

“We’re in 2018, and for now, there’s no plan.”

Dr Charles Bernard, the President of the Québec College of Physicians, told the Québec government at the end of May that more funding is needed for palliative care. CTV reported that Bernard wrote to the government stating:

“Patients, failing to benefit from such care, could have no other choice but to ask for medical aid in dying to end their days in dignity,” 

“Patients who ask for medical aid in dying are given priority access to available resources to the detriment of other patients at the end of their lives.”

The Canadian government will be receiving reports in December on the extension of euthanasia to children, people with psychiatric conditions and people who are incompetent.

• Québec Physicians Denounce Lack of Free Informed Consent & Safeguards of Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Laws.