Quebec’s chief coroner, Reno Bernier, will not, for the time being, proceed with the recent request from several doctors calling for a public inquiry into the suicides of doctors in Quebec. In a press release issued Wednesday, Bernier announced that the ongoing investigations into five physicians who died by suicide since the beginning of 2026 will be consolidated and entrusted to Coroner Géhane Kamel. The decision follows a letter signed by some 1,500 physicians and sent to Bernier on Sept. 18. The signatories called for a thematic public inquiry into physician suicides in Quebec to determine whether certain professional, organizational, or systemic factors may have contributed to these deaths. This was the goal of consolidating the investigations into the five suicides. According to the Coroner’s Office, this should make it possible to identify, if applicable, “common contributing factors.” “After conducting a thorough analysis of the request, it was decided that it would be preferable, as a first step, to complete the ongoing investigations into the five deaths in question by consolidating them under a single coroner,” the Coroner’s Office wrote in a press release. However, it does not completely rule out the possibility of a public inquiry. The proposal could be reconsidered, it says, if the current process entrusted to Kamel fails to “shed full light on the causes and circumstances of the deaths in question or to make recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future.” The Coroner’s Office said that Coroner Kamel has presided over major public inquiries—including the public inquiry into deaths in long-term care facilities during the first wave of COVID-19. “Throughout her tenure, she has demonstrated her ability to take into account the concerns not only of the deceased’s loved ones but also of various stakeholders, particularly within the healthcare system,” the press release said. Kamel’s findings will be available once her reports are made public. Here is a list of mental health resources in Quebec Find a crisis centre (in French only) near you to obtain free specialized crisis intervention services for you or a loved one. If you need immediate assistance, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 7, 2026. Katrine Desautels, The Canadian Press The Canadian Press’s health coverage is supported by a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for this journalistic content.
