QUEBEC CITY — Quebec’s chief coroner is launching a public inquiry into the death of Normand Meunier, a man who resorted to medical assistance in dying to end his suffering after experiencing complications during a stay at the hospital. Saint-Jérôme hospital.
This public inquiry, which will be chaired by coroner Dave Kimpton, was triggered following a request made by the Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel.
According to the Coroner’s Office, it will allow “any interested person to express themselves regarding the circumstances of this death in order to analyze all the contributing factors, with a view to making recommendations to prevent deaths in circumstances similar”.
Last January, Normand Meunier, a 66-year-old quadriplegic man, went to Saint-Jérôme hospital to treat a respiratory virus. He developed a major pressure ulcer in his buttocks, and on March 29, resorted to medical assistance in dying to end his suffering.
His death sparked numerous reactions in the National Assembly, where opposition parties united to demand an independent investigation, crying abuse and calling Mr. Meunier’s death a “real shame” for Quebec.
The Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, accepted their request. An internal investigation was also launched at the CISSS des Laurentides.
Details of the progress of the coroner’s inquest, as well as the dates of the hearings, will be communicated later.
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