Dr. Isabelle Desormeau, this anesthetist involved in an investigation for “euthanasia” at the Cité-de-la-Santé in Laval, was arrested in the last few days by the police. She will now face a manslaughter charge.

This was confirmed on Tuesday by the Laval Police Service (SPL), in a brief press release, indicating that its investigators from the Crimes against the person squad arrested Ms. Desormeau last Thursday.

The main interested party is at the heart of a case, revealed by La Presse in July 2021, at the Cité-de-la-Santé in Laval, where several upset staff members described the death of a man as “euthanasia”. 84-year-old in a divisive operating theater in 2019. The shock was such that a manager of the establishment alerted the police, who opened a murder investigation.

In its statement issued on Tuesday, the Laval police indicated that it was “in light of the results of this investigation” that an arrest warrant was authorized by the Director of Penal and Criminal Prosecutions (DPCP).

52-year-old anesthesiologist Isabelle Desormeau was charged with manslaughter shortly after her arrest. The authorities, however, specify that the accused was released “with conditions to be respected”. She is expected to be back in court on April 21.

On October 31, 2019, an octogenarian first went to the Cité-de-la-Santé hospital in Laval for stomach aches. He was diagnosed with “intestinal obstruction requiring surgery”.

The man consents to the “Objective B” level of care, which is to “prolong life with limited care”. He says he doesn’t want “emergency cardiopulmonary resuscitation or intubation.” The operation began around 2 a.m. on the night of November 1.

During the operation, which lasts approximately two hours, the surgeon discovers “necrosis on large segments of his small intestine”. “Considering the extent of the operative findings and the wishes expressed by the patient”, he joins the patient’s family. Over the phone, the doctor explains to the patient’s niece that “continuing the operation would require the patient to have a bag” and be hospitalized for an extended period of time. It was then decided to “conclude the operation and offer palliative treatment”.

Once back in the operating room, the surgeon “closes the abdominal wall of the patient” and confirms to his colleague anesthesiologist, Dr. Desormeau, “that there is no expected survival of the patient”.

It was then that a debate arose between Ms. Desormeau and the nurses. The first questions “the usefulness of finding a room for the patient when he could be taken directly to the morgue”, repeating that the man “has no one to accompany him” in palliative care. A nurse counters, however, that the patient has a daughter, and that it is “wrong to pretend that he has no family”. Despite everything, the anesthetist chose to give the patient an injection and to disconnect him from the ventilator around 4:45 a.m.

At the time of the injection, the nurse claims to have “said a few times that this is not the proper procedure and that the patient should be returned upstairs to die with dignity.” The man’s asystole, i.e. the cessation of his heartbeat, was noted around 5:04 a.m.

The investigation in this case has been paralyzed due to a legal tussle. In recent years, Ms. Desormeau, who has not practiced since the events, has indeed multiplied the legal requests for her identity to be protected, saying that she is worried about the “harm” that the reverse could cause her.

In December 2021, she went to the Supreme Court, where her request to appeal a judgment of the Superior Court was rejected. A few days later, Superior Court Judge Hélène Di Salvo finally lifted the publication ban on Dr. Desormeau. The two doctors considered “witnesses”, Dr. Hubert Veilleux and Dr. Joseph Dahine, have also been identified.

A privilege had also been claimed by the anesthetist so that the police could not consult the disciplinary file, even if they obtained a search warrant. At the time of the events, the Office of the Syndic of the College of Physicians had also filed a disciplinary complaint with the Disciplinary Board against the anesthetist, but this had not proceeded due to legal proceedings.

Anyone who has relevant information in connection with Dr. Desormeau or this event is invited to contact the SPL Info-Police Line, by dialing 450 662-INFO (4636), or 911, mentioning the LVL file number. -191 109-024.