Government Initiates Investigation Into Controversial Death of Quadriplegic Quebec Man Due to Neglected Bedsores

June 25, 2024 TruthUSA

A public inquiry will be held into the death of a quadriplegic man who received medical assistance in dying (MAID) after he developed severe bedsores during a visit to a hospital emergency room.

Normand Meunier, 66, developed the sores after lying for four days on a stretcher in the hallway of the Saint-Jérôme Hospital, located about 45 kilometres northwest of Montreal.

Quebec’s chief coroner, Reno Bernier, ordered the inquiry into Mr. Meunier’s death at the request of Public Safety Minister François Bonnardel, according to a June 25 release.

Coroner Dave Kimpton has been appointed to preside over the investigation, assisted by public inquiry prosecutor Émilie Fay-Carlos.

Mr. Meunier had suffered a spinal injury that left him paralyzed in his arms and legs since 2022. At the time of the incident, he was visiting the emergency room over a respiratory illness. During his four-day hospital stay, Mr. Meunier developed a major pressure sore on his buttocks that eventually worsened to the point where bone and muscle were exposed, according to CBC News.

The advocacy organization Regroupement des activistes pour l’inclusion au Québec (RAPLIQ), which works with disability groups, told The Epoch Times Mr. Meunier’s death could have been avoided if a proper mattress had been supplied for him. The group also called for an investigation into the incident.