Widow calls for independent inquiry into treatment of husband at Saint-Jérôme Hospital

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Normand Meunier, a tetraplegic since 2022, sought death as a relief from the suffering he endured from a bed sore developed after spending four days immobile on an ER stretcher.

Published Apr 12, 2024  •  Last updated 1 day ago  •  2 minute read

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The widow of a tetraplegic who sought medically assisted death after being afflicted with bed sores after a stay in St-Jérôme Hospital is calling for the Quebec government to launch an independent inquiry into her husband’s death.

Sylvie Brosseau’s call for an independent inquiry into the “glaring flaws in the health network” is supported by Moelle épinière et motricité Québec (MÉMO-Qc), which advocates for Quebecers suffering from spinal cord injuries, and comes after the medically assisted death on March 29 of Normand Meunier. Meunier, a tetraplegic since 2022, sought death as a relief from the suffering he endured from a bed sore developed after he spent four days immobile on an ER stretcher after being admitted to the hospital for a respiratory infection.

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In an interview with Radio-Canada, which first told Meunier’s story, Brosseau said she informed the hospital that her husband, who is completely paralyzed, required an alternating pressure mattress to avoid developing bed sores. She said he did not receive a bed adapted to his needs until the fifth day of his stay, by which time he had developed a serious bedsore on his buttocks.

Steve Desjardins, the director of nursing services for the Laurentians region, told Radio-Canada that ERs are not equipped with alternating pressure mattresses because they are not adaptable to the stretchers used in emergency rooms. Failing a specialized mattress, the patient’s position on the ER stretcher should be regularly changed by nursing staff to avoid bedsores. However, Desjardins noted that the frequency of that care is contingent on how busy the ER is at any given moment.

The Laurentians regional health authority has launched an internal inquiry into Meunier’s treatment. But Brosseau and MÉMO-Qc argue that is insufficient in scope and an independent inquiry should look into the resources available for paralyzed patients throughout Quebec.

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“Failings of this type do not occur only at St-Jérôme Hospital but are common in many regions of Quebec,” they said in a statement Friday. “Let’s not wait for other tragedies to occur. 

“Tangibly improving the offer of service and quality of care offered to people with disabilities would be the best way to honour the memory of Normand Meunier.”

They also want a meeting with Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé “to inform him directly of the gaps in the continuum of care that led to the death of Normand Meunier.” Brosseau and MÉMO-Qc said they hope “Normand’s death will be the last to occur in Quebec for these reasons.”

Calling the situation unacceptable, Dubé said on Friday that the Laurentians health authority’s investigation will proceed to gather the facts about what happened, but he added that he will order an independent investigation if necessary.

“What I’ve done, in cases like this, since I’ve been here, is to start with an internal investigation to be able to at least have a basis of facts,” he told reporters in Montreal. “If we need an independent investigation, we will do it.”

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