More and more Quebecers are asking for medical assistance in dying, according to data collected by the Commission on End-of-Life Care, and they are at the same time more likely to obtain it.
Over the past year, 5% of Quebecers who have died have had recourse to medical assistance in dying, reveals the 2021-2022 annual report of the commission responsible for monitoring the application of the law aimed at allowing dying in dignity.
This rate represents a significant increase from the 3.3% rate recorded in 2020-2021.
The commission tabled its annual report in the National Assembly on Friday, in addition to issuing a press release in which its president, Dr. of the criteria for applying the Act” and “of the last resort nature of this care”.
According to the data transmitted by the commission, 3,663 people obtained medical assistance in dying between 1er April 2021 and March 31, 2022. In comparison, 2,426 people used it in 2020-2021 and 1,776 people in 2019-2020.
Still according to the commission, despite the sustained increase in the number of patients who turn to this service of last resort, it is assured that 95% of them were truly “at the end of life, due to a serious and incurable disease causing suffering that cannot be alleviated by other treatments”.
Moreover, Dr. Bureau insists on the fact that the withdrawal of the end-of-life criterion in the text of the law is not in question in the increase in the number of cases.
To see in video