CBC: Two prominent Manitoba doctors speak out against assisted suicide

As the CBC reports on Apr. 20, 2015:

Two top doctors in Manitoba say physician assisted suicide is not the answer to addressing the suffering of dying patients. Both want to see more Canadians having access to comprehensive palliative care and more training for physicians.

Too many people are dying badly in Canada and that is a scary thing, said Dr. Harvey Chochinov, Canada’s Research Chair in Palliative Care.

Chochinov is also the director of the Manitoba Palliative Care Research Unit and a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Manitoba.

Two prominent doctors believe the timing for physician assisted suicide is terrible because not enough Canadians have access to quality end of life care.

He is deeply concerned Canadians now have a right to assisted suicide, but no right to quality palliative care.

“Most people would be surprised to hear the vast majority of Canadians don’t have access to quality end of life care. A Senate report says 70 to 85 percent of Canadians are not receiving and do not have access to quality palliative care.”