Quebec coroner finds gaps in medical care for man who sought MAID after bedsores – CBC
Norman Meunier’s bedsores significantly deteriorated when he wasn’t given access to special mattress
Nov 25, 2025
A Quebec coroner is calling on the province’s health authorities to do better when it comes to preventing and treating patients with spinal cord injuries after a quadriplegic man requested medical assistance in dying in March 2024 due to bedsores after an ER stay.
In January 2024, 66-year-old Normand Meunier spent four days on a stretcher in the Saint-Jérôme Hospital’s emergency room without access to a special mattress due to hospital overcapacity, coroner Dave Kimpton writes in his report published Tuesday.
A pressure sore on his buttocks worsened to the point where bone and muscle were exposed and visible — making his recovery and prognosis bleak.
In his report, Kimpton highlights the need for guaranteed and prompt access to a therapeutic mattress for patients with spinal cord injuries. He also calls on the province to create an advisory committee aimed at preventing and treating bedsores with new tools and training.
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/norman-meunier-coroner-recommendations-9.6991339
