A jump of 42%, the minister wonders
(Quebec) The use of medical assistance in dying continues to increase in Quebec, and significantly. No less than 5211 people received it in 2022-2023, a jump of 42% in one year. The Minister for Health and Seniors, Sonia Bélanger, wondered about "this phenomenon, which is important" and deplored a handful of "non-compliant" situations where people were not eligible under the law.
"We know that there is a great deal of openness in Quebec about this. However, I want to understand the reasons why in Quebec, there are more requests, more medical assistance in dying that are given," she said during a press scrum outside the Blue Room. It plans to commission a research team to look into the situation and obtain a "detailed" scientific opinion.
"I'm not worried," and "we shouldn't look at the statistics as good or bad news," she said. "I want to understand, as a minister, why we have this phenomenon and this great openness in Quebec. [...] Let me remind you that we were one of the first countries (sic) to adopt a law on end-of-life care. It's important that we do things right. »
Sonia Bélanger
According to the annual report of the Committee on End-of-Life Care that the Minister tabled in the National Assembly on Thursday, the majority of the 5,211 people who received medical assistance in dying were aged 70 and over (72%), had cancer (63%), had a survival prognosis of one year or less (82%) and had both irremediable physical and psychological suffering (97%).
They received medical assistance in dying in hospitals (55%), at home (30%), in CHSLDs (8%) or in palliative care homes (5%).
Almost two-thirds of requests for medical assistance in dying (MAID) were administered (68%).
A total of 1,663 physicians participated in MAID, an increase of 15%.
The 5211 MAID cases represent 6.5% of the 79,600 deaths that occurred from April 2022 to March 2023.
The expansion of access to medical aid adopted by the National Assembly this year will further increase
the statistics in the coming years, the Commission predicts.
"The 42% increase in the number of MAIDs administered [...] deserves attention and an attempt to analyse the possible underlying reasons for this in order to ensure that MAID continues to be administered in accordance with the law, which the Commission has been able to verify as shown by the very low number of MAs found to be non-compliant" (0.5%).
Thus, 16 of these 23 non-compliant cases are particularly problematic according to the Minister, because the people received MAID when they did not meet all the criteria set out in the law. They were not suffering from a serious or incurable illness, according to the Commission. In three cases, the person had a disability.
"Faced with this situation, I expect the College of Physicians to make the necessary interventions and follow-ups with
the physicians concerned," said Sonia Bélanger.
"We know that there is a great deal of openness in Quebec about this. However, I want to understand the reasons why in Quebec, there are more requests, more medical assistance in dying that are given," she said during a press scrum outside the Blue Room. It plans to commission a research team to look into the situation and obtain a "detailed" scientific opinion.
"I'm not worried," and "we shouldn't look at the statistics as good or bad news," she said. "I want to understand, as a minister, why we have this phenomenon and this great openness in Quebec. [...] Let me remind you that we were one of the first countries (sic) to adopt a law on end-of-life care. It's important that we do things right. »
Sonia Bélanger
According to the annual report of the Committee on End-of-Life Care that the Minister tabled in the National Assembly on Thursday, the majority of the 5,211 people who received medical assistance in dying were aged 70 and over (72%), had cancer (63%), had a survival prognosis of one year or less (82%) and had both irremediable physical and psychological suffering (97%).
They received medical assistance in dying in hospitals (55%), at home (30%), in CHSLDs (8%) or in palliative care homes (5%).
Almost two-thirds of requests for medical assistance in dying (MAID) were administered (68%).
A total of 1,663 physicians participated in MAID, an increase of 15%.
The 5211 MAID cases represent 6.5% of the 79,600 deaths that occurred from April 2022 to March 2023.
The expansion of access to medical aid adopted by the National Assembly this year will further increase
the statistics in the coming years, the Commission predicts.
"The 42% increase in the number of MAIDs administered [...] deserves attention and an attempt to analyse the possible underlying reasons for this in order to ensure that MAID continues to be administered in accordance with the law, which the Commission has been able to verify as shown by the very low number of MAs found to be non-compliant" (0.5%).
Thus, 16 of these 23 non-compliant cases are particularly problematic according to the Minister, because the people received MAID when they did not meet all the criteria set out in the law. They were not suffering from a serious or incurable illness, according to the Commission. In three cases, the person had a disability.
"Faced with this situation, I expect the College of Physicians to make the necessary interventions and follow-ups with
the physicians concerned," said Sonia Bélanger.
