OTTAWA, ON November 22, 2011 – The all-party committee that convened to study end-of-life care after the defeat of Bill C-384 issued its report recently, and the League is very encouraged to see that most of its recommendations focused on the need to make quality palliative care available to all Canadians who need it. The report also discusses the needs and challenges of caring in the most compassionate way for the elderly and the disabled.
The committee received submissions from hundreds of Canadian groups with expertise in health care, bioethics, and the needs of the elderly and disabled. Many experts told the committee that the level of chronic and end-of-life care available at this time is deficient in quantity and quality.
In its submission to the committee, the League urged a strong commitment to improving palliative and other end-of-life care, pointing out that fear of being a burden to family members and of not having adequate pain relief and general care are both major reasons why some people believe euthanasia and assisted suicide must be available.
Parliamentary report: From the website http://pcpcc-cpspsc.com/report.
League press release about BC assisted suicide case.
