Quebec euthanasia rate after one year passes Belgian rate at five year mark
Sean Murphy*
Since 10 December, 2015, euthanasia has provided by physicians in Quebec under the terms of An Act Respecting End of Life Care (ARELC). Health and social services agencies established by the government throughout the province are state agencies responsible for the delivery and coordination of health care in the province administrative regions. These are called Centres intégrés de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) and Centres intégrés universitaires de santé et de services sociaux [CIUSSS). Some administrative regions (like Montreal and the Quebec City region) have more than one CISSS or CIUSSS.
These agencies are responsible for the delivery of euthanasia and are required to make reports to a commission established by the law (the Commission sur les soins de fin de vie) to monitor the administration of euthanasia. According to the Commission, they are also required to post these reports on their websites.
As of 6 March, 2016, one of these agencies (Outaouais) had not posted the reports on its website. Two (Outaouais and Abitibi-Temiscamingue) had neither posted the most recent report nor sent the report to the Commission, and did not respond to a request for it.
The Project has compiled the statistics provided by the other agencies in tables and charts. Note that, in some cases, the number of patients lethally infused is higher than the number of requests because euthanasia was provided in response to a request made in the previous reporting period.
Quebec’s euthanasia rate almost doubled in the last half of 2016. One year after legalization, Quebec has passed the euthanasia rate reached by Belgium after five years. If Quebec’s rate continues without escalation throughout 2017, it will exceed that achieved by Belgium after nine years.