A hospital in the province of Quebec is investigating the case of an 82-year old man who spent the last day of his life in a supply closet because there was a shortage of palliative care beds. The province’s ombudsman is also following the case closely.
Roy spent his final 24 hours confined to a busy room filled with hospital supplies and equipment.
On-going budget cuts in health care have led to a shortage of beds in several hospitals in Quebec and other parts of Canada. People have become used to stories of patients kept in hallways and long waits in hospital emergency rooms.
‘It’s inhuman,’ says daughter
But the story of Marcel Roy has shocked people like Louis Rajotte with AQDR, a Quebec association for the rights of seniors. “This is a situation that should not exist,” she said, calling for a public coroner’s inquiry. Said Roy’s daughter, Marcelle “to end your life in a place like that, it’s inhuman.”
The Quebec government cut $1.2 million dollars from its 2014-15 health care budget and is planning another $600,000 cut for the following year.
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