For many Quebecers, it is the culmination of many years of concern; for health care authorities, it is the realization of a highly acclaimed project. As revealed The Press Saturday, it will be possible from the end of October to submit an advance request for medical assistance in dying.
A “great relief”
“Not a day goes by without me thinking about what will happen next with my illness,” says Sandra Demontigny, spokesperson for the Association for the Right to Die with Dignity, who is also affected by an early and hereditary form of Alzheimer’s.
As of October 30, people suffering from a serious and incurable illness leading to an inability to consent to care – such as Alzheimer’s – will be able to submit an advance request for medical assistance in dying. This is the last provision to come into force in the bill aimed at expanding medical assistance in dying, adopted a little over a year ago by the Legault government.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY SANDRA DEMONTIGNY
Sandra Demontigny is affected by an early and hereditary form of Alzheimer’s.
Mme Demontigny, who had published an open letter to this effect in The Press last February, was pleased that the date for the provision to come into effect had finally been determined. Since her diagnosis in 2019, she had been hoping for this outcome, as had the multitude of Quebecers who told her they were afraid that the disease was too advanced for them to benefit from it.
Since I learned of this decision, I know that it will happen, and I really sleep better.
Sandra Demontigny, spokesperson for the Association for the Right to Die with Dignity
“Courageous” Quebec
“Quebec was ready,” believes Me Danielle Chalifoux, health law lawyer and president of the Institut de la planification des soins du Québec. “I think the entire community is applauding because it’s been since June [2023] that the provisions have been adopted for the legislation,” she adds.
Even if Me Chalifoux believes that there will certainly be an increase in requests for medical assistance in dying under this provision, she does not believe that there will be any abuse.
For his part, Paul Brunet, president and CEO of the Council for the Protection of the Sick (CPM), also welcomes the outcome of the bill, even if there are some differences of opinion within the CPM’s board of directors. He even describes the Legault government as “courageous” since it moved forward without federal support.
On Saturday morning, the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP) confirmed that he would issue an instruction to criminal and penal prosecutors to prevent prosecution of a doctor who provided care in compliance with the conditions established by Quebec law.
Other reactions
The Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec also welcomes the decision. “Until it comes into force, issues remain to be clarified. Our gaze is therefore turning to the federal government so that it quickly joins the broad Quebec consensus,” declared its president Luc Mathieu, via a written communication.
Via an X publication, the Collège des médecins du Québec also reacted to the news on Saturday afternoon: “The Collège is in favour of advance requests for people with a diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease, who could not consent to MAiD later,” we can read there.
The organization deplores the fact that Ottawa has not yet amended the Criminal Code to authorize this approach, which is widely supported in Quebec, according to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Quebec, Simon Jolin-Barrette.
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