Gyslaine Desrosiers said the risks of legalizing medical means to ending life are very real.
"It would be premature to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide when there remains so much to do in the area of end-of-life care. Protection of the dignity of people is a daily task."
"Euthanasia and assisted suicide are acts which must remain exceptional."
Justine Farley, a medical doctor, speaking for a network of palliative care in Quebec, noted a recent New England Journal of Medicine article that said people with lung cancer who receive palliative care live longer than patients not given palliative care.We need a society that cares for and not kills its citizens.
Farley said people with cancer and other diseases may be depressed or anxious and need the support palliative care offers, as an alternative to euthanasia or assisted suicide.
Link to the article in the Montreal Gazette.
My mother did not receive appropriate end-of-life care at the Charles Lemoyne Hospital. She was diagnosed with a terminal illness that the physician did not disclose. They gave her extremely aggressive treatment that killed her instead. The physician did disclose her diagnosis until a few weeks before her death. It was documented in her chart that they were aware of her terminal illness at least six months prior to her death. Palliative care needs to be addressed, it is really lacking in the province of Quebec. My mother suffered due to futile treatments. It was very stressful for the family.
ReplyDelete