Through the Supreme Court decision, medical assistance in dying (MAID) has become a legal option allowing patients to choose the time and date of their death.1 Palliative care should be provided to individuals at the end of life, regardless of their legal choice to expedite their death with the assistance of MAID.
Although health care in Canada is universal, there is a difference in resource allocation when it comes to equity versus equality. Palliative care consists of providing holistic care to the individual, treating him or her as a person rather than a medical diagnosis. This can provide comfort to the patient and family at the end of life. Rationales for completing MAID are as unique as the individuals requesting the service. Each case is unique. However, patients should still have access to palliative care—a limited resource without the same access across the country. If you cannot avail yourself of palliative care services at the end of life, what other options are available to you?
Footnotes
Competing interests
None declared
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Reference
- 1.↵