Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) said the Canadian government needs to end its plans to allow people with mental illnesses to receive medical assistance in dying (MAID). .“But the reality surrounding euthanasia for mental illness is concerning,” said EPC Executive Director Alex Schadenberg in a blog post. .“As much as people with disabilities are requesting and being approved for euthanasia based on poverty, homelessness and the inability to receive necessary medical treatment, people with mental health issues are often homeless, living in poverty and having difficulty receiving medical treatment.”.The Canadian government introduced Bill C-39 in February, delaying the expansion of MAID to Canadians whose sole underlying condition is a mental disorder..READ MORE: Cabinet introduces bill to delay expanding MAiD.“The safety of Canadians must come first, which is why we are taking additional time to get this right,” said former justice minister and attorney general David Lametti. .Under Canada's current MAID law, anyone suffering from a mental illness who met all eligibility criteria could have received it in March. .But the legislation introduced by Lametti, former health minister Jean-Yves Duclos, and former mental health and addictions minister Carolyn Bennett will extend the temporary exclusion period until March 17, 2024..Canadian psychiatrist John Maher said the MAID waiting period for Canadians who are not terminally ill, which is 90 days, is shorter than that to receive psychiatric care. .Canadian psychiatrist Sonu Gaind, who supports it but opposes it for people with mental illnesses, said it is “basically impossible to know in cases of mental illness whether the condition is truly ‘irremediable,’ i.e. cannot be cured or alleviated.”.The EPC said Gaind’s comment is important since the law requires a person have an irredeemable medical condition to qualify. .It brought up the story of Vancouver resident Kathrin Mentler, who suffers from multiple mental illnesses..Mentler has lived with depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts for many years and was offered MAID at the Assessment Centre at Vancouver General Hospital while seeking help for suicidal ideation. .She was told by a counsellor the mental health system was overwhelmed, as there were no available beds and the earliest she could talk with a psychiatrist was in about five months. That is when the counsellor asked her if she ever considered it. .Maher said MAID for mental illness is too close to suicide for his comfort. .“You're assisting someone in the completion of their suicide,” he said. .“The doctor is the sanitized gun.”.One of his key concerns is how anyone can determine if a person with a mental illness is incurable as required by the law. He agrees there are people who have an irredeemable condition. .EPC acknowledged this law has led to the abandonment of people with disabilities who are living in poverty, homelessness and other unacceptable social conditions. .Schadenberg concluded by saying the result of this expansion will be “more of the same, except for the people being abandoned to death will be living with psychological conditions.” He said there are no acceptable reasons to kill people, but the law has sentenced those with mental illnesses to death. .“Canada's MAID program has gone mad,” he said..The Conservatives introduced Bill C-314 in March, which would revoke the inclusion of mental illness under MAID. .READ MORE: Conservatives introduce bill revoking inclusion of mental ill in medically-assisted dying.“Many Canadians are suffering from depression and they're losing hope,” said Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. .“Our job is to turn their hurt back into hope and to give them faith that their lives can be better tomorrow than they are today.”
