Disturbing news out of Canada that affects religious liberty and the very lives of the mentally ill.
The Special Joint Committee on Physician Assisted Dying has recommended that individuals with psychiatric conditions not be excluded from “assisted dying,” which the committee now takes to mean both assisted suicide and euthanasia. The recommendation calls patient consent into question.
The committee has made 20 recommendations in all that have been called “politically wild” by some. The recommendations to Parliament have every chance of being put into law by the June 6th deadline this year.
Natalie Sonnen, executive director for LifeCanada said “These recommendations are reckless, and broadly influenced by a radical philosophy of absolute autonomy,” adding “I think they go way beyond what the public had expected and will have a chilling effect on the entire medical profession.”
Canadians have not been consulted as to whether pharmacists and nurse practitioners may be involved in these practices, but that is precisely what the committee has recommended.
The recommendations call for all publicly funded medical institutions to take part, undoubtedly affecting Catholic hospitals that have served Canadian communities for hundreds of years. Hospices and palliative care facilities will be likewise affected.
There is no protection of conscience for objecting physicians. Medical practitioners would be forced to either comply or make an “effective referral”.