Thank you, Madam Chair and committee members, for this opportunity. I am the current president of the Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians. I worked as a northern nurse and have over 32 years' experience as a physician. Since 2004, after a year of additional palliative care training, I have worked as an academic palliative care physician, seeing patients wherever they call home.
Addressing suffering is both imperative and challenging. Our hope is to ensure that necessary services are in place to address suffering and that safeguards are in place to minimize harm. Among Canadians, 98% will not choose a hastened death, and 100% of Canadians need palliative care enshrined in the Canada Health Act as an essential service so that all patients may receive impeccable care in the location of their choice and be able to live well until they die. All Canadians deserve access to high-quality, comprehensive palliative care.
Dr. Chochinov will now speak.