According to the experts, although Australia is currently ranked as one of the best places in the world to die, Queensland still has a long way to go to equal its state counterparts in relation to the care of the dying.
“Queenslanders are suffering more and more because the Queensland Government has no end of life policy, and unlike other states, Queensland has no statewide plan for providing palliative care,” says Associate professor Rohan Vora, President of Palliative Care Queensland.
“Queensland Health needs to invest far more time and money into developing services that will ensure quality, dignity and comfort are guaranteed in the last 12 months. Without more and better services across Queensland, it is only natural to expect more Queenslanders to request physician assisted suicide in the future.”
This is one of the many topics to be discussed at the all day Your Death Your Choice Community Forum on Saturday May 19th. The forum, to be held at the Events Centre Maroochydore, is hosted by Palliative Care Queensland and Cancer Voices Queensland, two of the state’s leading advocacy bodies for cancer and end of life.
“The Your Death Your Choice Forum provides an opportunity for the community to talk openly about death and dying, and to debate key issues including funding, symptom management and euthanasia. We have bought together a great list of speakers for the forum, but I warn attendees that some of the presentations may be confronting, as death is still a difficult subject to broach for many.”
Some of the speakers at the event include Greens Senator Larissa Waters, LNP Senator Sue Boyce and ALP Senator Claire Moore. Ethicist Professor Colleen Cartwright, former NT Chief Minister Marshall Perron and former Lord Mayor of Brisbane Jim Soorley will also present at the forum.
For more information about the Your Death your Choice Community Forum or to purchase your ticket, please visit www.yourdeathyourchoice.com.au or call (07) 3211 2299.
