Pain and death in Newfoundland

Only 10 per cent of the dying in Newfoundland receive palliative care. According to a new report on the service, most others go through needless "horrible suffering" in their final days. Many people in the province have no health insurance, and few families can afford to make their loved ones comfortable as they die. Red tape and a lack of resources also help push palliative care out of the reach of most people. The problem is expected to get worse in the near future, as cancer overtakes cardiovascular disease as the number one killer in Newfoundland. The report calls for an increase of $13.6 million a year for education and research to fix palliative care, which officials hope can be offered 24 hours a day and to every dying person in every region of the province.

CBC News