People in Canada are having their lives ended by assisted dying on the same day that requests are made, adding to fears that wrongful deaths may be occurring.
An officialreportby the Chief Coroner of Ontario’s Medical Assistance in Dying Death Review Committee (MDRC) highlighted that, in 2023, 65 people in Ontario had their lives ended by Canada’s assisted suicide and euthanasia programme on the same day that they made their requests to do so. A further 154 people had their lives ended the day after their request was made.
These same-day suicides, which comprise both assisted suicide and euthanasia, include the case of Mrs B, a woman in her 80s who suffered from complications following coronary artery bypass graft surgery and who chose to receive palliative care support at home.
After sharing her desire with her family to end her life through Canada’s euthanasia and assisted suicide programme, her spouse requested an assessment. However, Mrs B informed the euthanasia and assisted suicide assessor she “wanted to withdraw her request, citing personal and religious values and beliefs”, preferring instead to pursue “in-patient palliative care/hospice care”.
After being denied hospice palliative care, Mrs B’s spouse subsequently requested another euthanasia and assisted suicide assessment, which deemed Mrs B eligible for the euthanasia and assisted suicide programme. This approval was granted despite reservations from the first practitioner, who held “concerns regarding the necessity for ‘urgency’ and… the seemingly drastic change in perspective of end-of-life goals, and the possibility of coercion or undue influence (i.e. due to caregiver burnout)”.
Despite this, Mrs B’s request was approved by two separate assessors, and she died the same day.
Same-day suicides are commonly due to “poor quality end-of-life care”
Canada’s original assisted suicide and euthanasia law, known as Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), passed in 2016, required a 10-day waiting period between requesting assisted dying and being given the assistance to end one’s life.
The Canadian Parliamentremovedthis requirement for individuals whose deaths were “reasonably foreseeable” in 2021. There are no specific criteria used to discern whether a same-day suicide should be applicable or not.
Members of the MDRCexpressed concernsthat same-day suicides could be an influencing factor for people to choose to end their lives, as this accessibility is much more timely than accessing high-quality end-of-life care.
Source: Drudge Report
