I think it is so important that to the extent that there are gaps.... We understand there are gaps, especially between urban and rural regions, for example. There are some questions about when palliative care is considered an insured service versus an extended service, and I think clarity is needed on those questions to ensure uniformity and consistency in the provision of palliative care. That might be something that needs to be done in conjunction with the provinces, but there's still a role for the federal government to play in ensuring that there is consistency.
This goes to Senator Dalphond's question about those who change their mind because of palliative care. The third annual report that we have from Health Canada provides some information in that regard. It tells us about the reasons why individuals withdrew their request for MAID. It specifically tells us that in 38.5% of cases where individuals withdrew their request for MAID, it was because palliative care measures were sufficient. By my calculation, that's 88 people in 2021 alone who withdrew their request for MAID because palliative care measures were sufficient. How much more would people be informed by broader and wider access to palliative care across the country, where we see these discrepancies?
Another area of focus that the federal government can emphasize is research. They can fund research and get more information, data and standards about these issues. They can work with the provinces to improve training for medical students and other health care professionals so that there's greater awareness of what palliative care does, especially, as I mentioned, in the area of pediatrics, where many regions don't have specialized pediatric palliative care. It's so crucial, I think, for this to be emphasized moving forward.