Canada has suspended its assisted suicide program for people suffering solely from mental illness. The country currently offers assisted suicide for people with terminal or chronic illnesses, but Canadians remain divided on extending the same option to people suffering solely from mental illness. , the Canadian government reported. fox news digital.
Some have suggested that improved psychiatric care in this country might deter some people from making decisions about dying. The controversial policy would allow any Canadian with an incurable illness to apply for assisted suicide, even if the condition is not life-threatening.
This program would be one of the most liberal assisted suicide programs in the world.
The first efforts to introduce medically assisted suicide in Canada occurred when the Supreme Court decided control In 2015, it held that forcing people to endure intolerable suffering violates their fundamental rights to freedom and security. However, the law was expanded in 2021 to include anyone who has experienced a “calamitous and irreversible” situation, including depression and other mental illnesses.
As a result, 13,000 Canadians used assisted suicide programs in 2022 alone. As the plan got underway, Conservative MP Ed Fast said: “Has Canada’s assisted suicide plan gone too far, too fast?”
“Are we evolving into a culture that favors death for those suffering from mental illness, or will we choose life?”
However, according to a statement from Health Minister Mark Holland and Justice Minister Arif Virani, health authorities have been reluctant to expand the program, saying they do not have enough doctors to effectively diagnose and treat people with mental illness, especially This suggests that there is a shortage of psychiatrists. new york times.
“The system needs to be ready and we need to do it right,” Holland said. “It is clear from our conversations so far that the system is not ready and we need more time.”
“The curriculum exists, the guidelines are in place, but there hasn’t been enough time for people to be trained on it, and states and territories say their systems aren’t ready and they need more time. “We are doing so,” he added.
However, the BBC report The advocacy group Death with Dignity said on Thursday it was “disappointed” by the program’s sudden postponement. They called the suspension “a denial of constitutional rights to suffering people across Canada.”
It is unclear when the program will be extended, if at all.
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