Quebec Minister for Health and for Seniors Sonia Belanger tables a legislation on end of life care and assisted death, Thursday, February 16, 2023 at the legislature in Quebec City. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
QUEBEC – The Quebec government has tabled legislation to allow people with incurable diseases to make advanced requests for medical assistance in dying before they become incapacitated.
The primary change in the bill tabled today by the junior health minister for health and seniors, Sonia Bélanger, applies to people suffering from a “serious and incurable” illness that could make them incapable of consenting to medical care.
They would be allowed to make an advance request for medical assistance in dying that would apply once they have become incapacitated.
Bélanger says the bill would allow people with Alzheimer’s disease to make an advanced request.
The federal government is proposing to expand eligibility to patients who only have mental disorders, but the Quebec bill specifies that people who suffer only from mental disorders are not eligible.
An earlier version of the legislation failed to pass before the legislature was dissolved ahead of the October general election.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 16, 2023.
