A Canadian man with a history of mental illness is among the latest individuals to die by assisted euthanasia in Canada, despite not being officially considered as terminally ill.
It was claimed he suffered from COVID-19 “vaccination syndrome” when no such condition is officially recognised in the health system.
Worthy Christian News reported the man who was in his 40s was among several cases of patients allegedly being asked to take part in the assisted dying program for “social reasons” such as isolation and fears of homelessness.
His death raised questions over whether his illness met the criteria for an “irremediable, incurable condition.”
Numerous specialists who were consulted couldn’t agree on a diagnosis, adding to concern about whether legal requirements were observed.
This case is among several highlighted by a 16-member Medical Assistance In Dying (MAID) expert committee, focusing on Ontario, Canada’s most populous province.
A homeless man refusing long-term care, a woman with severe obesity, an injured worker given meagre government assistance, and grieving new widows were among other cases mentioned.
They have prompted Canada’s government to urge parliament to delay expanding current MAID legislation to include people whose sole medical condition is a mental illness.
It stated: “In its consultations with the provinces, territories, medical professionals, people with lived experience and other stakeholders, the Government of Canada has heard – and agrees – that the health system is not yet ready for this expansion.”
An Associated Press investigation found doctors and nurses privately struggling with euthanasia requests from vulnerable people whose suffering might be addressed by money, social connections or adequate housing.
Providers expressed deep discomfort with ending the lives of vulnerable people whose deaths were avoidable, even if they met the criteria.
“To finally have a government report that recognises these cases of concern is extremely important. We’ve been gaslit for so many years when we raised fears about people getting MAID because they were poor, disabled or socially isolated,” said Ramona Coelho, a doctor on the expert committee.
Scott Kim, a physician and bioethicist at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C., said the real issue was the permissive nature of Canada’s law.
Despite polls showing widespread support for expanding euthanasia access, he questioned whether most Canadians understood what is allowed and said it was “baffling” that officials had not previously considered these issues.
The expert committee made numerous recommendations, including assigning patient advocates to support people considering euthanasia and providing more guidance to doctors and nurses who assess requests from non-terminal patients.
Trudo Lemmens, a professor of health law and policy at the University of Toronto, said medical professional bodies and judicial authorities in Canada appeared “unwilling to curtail practices that appeared ethically problematic.”
“Either the law is too broad; or the professional guidance not precise enough; or it is simply not seen as a priority to protect some of our most vulnerable citizens,” he suggested,
In 2022, 13,241 people received medically assisted deaths in Canada — a 31% jump over the previous year.
Photo: kavram / Shutterstock.com (Canada’s Parliament)
