Starting mid-march, Canada will allow medical euthanasia for people plagued with mental disorders under the country’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) legislation. From March 17, the law in Canada expands to include those suffering from medical illnesses. Currently, as per VOA, the law only applies to people whose death is deemed “reasonable foreseeable death” or those who suffer from a debilitating illness.
Watch | What is euthanasia?
The proposed expansion of MAiD has garnered mixed reactions. While patients who had previously faced rejections of their assisted suicide requests and who now find the path to a “release” easier are all in favour of the new law. However, others including experts are in vehement opposition.
CTV News reports that the Association of Chairs of Psychiatry in Canada, which includes the directors of the departments of psychiatry at all 17 medical schools, has requested that the modification to the MAiD law be postponed.
In a statement released on Thursday, the association notes that significant, unsolved concerns include the lack of public education on suicide prevention and a clear definition of irremediability or the point at which recovery is impossible.
Dr Valerie Taylor, who heads the group, said that while a lot of work is being done in Canada, “further time is required to increase awareness of this change and establish guidelines and standards to which clinicians, patients and the public can turn to for more education and information.”
The University of Manitoba’s director of the psychiatry department, Dr Jitender Sareen, said , that if a patient wants MAiD solely for mental health conditions, “we don’t have the clear standards around definitions of who’s eligible. How many assessments and what kinds of assessment would they actually need?”
Victoria-based lawyer Chris Considine has been at the forefront of advocating for euthanasia, and supports cases that include terminal illnesses like cancer or ALS but says that mental health cases are not clear-cut.
As per him, while mental health issues have grown their treatment hasn’t.
“In addition, there are underlying causes for mental health which are not strictly organic,” VOA quotes Considine as saying.
He adds that mental health problems can stem from many reasons, “there may be depression caused by poor housing, poor job prospects and other issues, which will drive people into a deep depression. Those issues could be solved, and therefore, there may not really be a need for MAiD.”
In his opinion, the March date needs to be pushed back or at least strict guidelines need to be put in place so MAiD “does not become a substitute for housing, health care and other forms of social assistance”.
(With inputs from agencies)
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.
