About 10,064 Canadians chose to have a medical assistance in dying (MAID) death in 2021, according to Health Canada’s third annual report about the topic. .“As such, Canada's healthcare system requires a dedicated and diligent cadre of MAID practitioners, committed to delivering MAID services within the parameters laid out in Canada's legal framework,” said Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos in the report. .“The Government of Canada has and will continue to work closely with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous partners, medical experts, and other stakeholders to support the continued implementation and delivery of the MAID regime in Canada.”.The report said the highest percentage year-over-year increase in MAID was in Saskatchewan, up 54.8%. Saskatchewan recorded 243 MAID deaths in 2021. .The jurisdiction with the second highest year-over-year increase was Quebec (44.2%). This was followed by Newfoundland and Labrador (32.7%), Ontario (30.4%), and Nova Scotia (30.3%). .The Northwest Territories and Nunavut did not see any percentage increase because they have not recorded any MAID deaths since it was legalized in 2016. .According to the report, the jurisdiction with the largest number of MAID deaths was Quebec at 3,281. Quebec had 2,275 deaths from this cause in 2020. .The jurisdiction with the second largest number of MAID deaths was Ontario (3,102). This was followed by British Columbia (2,030), Alberta (591), and Manitoba and Nova Scotia (245). .Health Canada said MAID deaths accounted for 3.3% of all deaths in Canada in 2021. This was an increase from 2.5% in 2020 and 2% in 2019. .Most jurisdictions continue to experience an uptick in MAID being the cause of people’s deaths, ranging from a low of 1.2% in Newfoundland and Labrador to a high of 4.8% in British Columbia. The one exception was Alberta, which remained steady at 1.9%. .“The Government of Canada will continue to abide by principles of safety, protection, and accessibility as the Canadian approach to MAID evolves,” said Duclos. .California has a similar MAID law to Canada, but 374 people used this option in 2017, the first full year it was enacted. California has a population of nearly 40 million people, which is larger than Canada's..The California Department of Public Health said 577 people received the lethal drugs, but not all of them opted to take them. .Canada had 2,838 MAID deaths in 2017. .A 20-year-old man from Fort St. John, BC, had a MAID death in June. .READ MORE: Twenty-year-old BC man chooses assisted death.Eric Coulam’s problems began in 2013 after his mother committed suicide. What began as stomach pains turned into a blockage in his digestive tract, a rupture, and sepsis..Coulam has lost his small intestine and suffers from liver problems, kidney disease, and chronic pain. Visits to numerous doctors and months in hospitals have not offered a diagnosis for his gastrointestinal problems.
About 10,064 Canadians chose to have a medical assistance in dying (MAID) death in 2021, according to Health Canada’s third annual report about the topic. .“As such, Canada's healthcare system requires a dedicated and diligent cadre of MAID practitioners, committed to delivering MAID services within the parameters laid out in Canada's legal framework,” said Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos in the report. .“The Government of Canada has and will continue to work closely with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous partners, medical experts, and other stakeholders to support the continued implementation and delivery of the MAID regime in Canada.”.The report said the highest percentage year-over-year increase in MAID was in Saskatchewan, up 54.8%. Saskatchewan recorded 243 MAID deaths in 2021. .The jurisdiction with the second highest year-over-year increase was Quebec (44.2%). This was followed by Newfoundland and Labrador (32.7%), Ontario (30.4%), and Nova Scotia (30.3%). .The Northwest Territories and Nunavut did not see any percentage increase because they have not recorded any MAID deaths since it was legalized in 2016. .According to the report, the jurisdiction with the largest number of MAID deaths was Quebec at 3,281. Quebec had 2,275 deaths from this cause in 2020. .The jurisdiction with the second largest number of MAID deaths was Ontario (3,102). This was followed by British Columbia (2,030), Alberta (591), and Manitoba and Nova Scotia (245). .Health Canada said MAID deaths accounted for 3.3% of all deaths in Canada in 2021. This was an increase from 2.5% in 2020 and 2% in 2019. .Most jurisdictions continue to experience an uptick in MAID being the cause of people’s deaths, ranging from a low of 1.2% in Newfoundland and Labrador to a high of 4.8% in British Columbia. The one exception was Alberta, which remained steady at 1.9%. .“The Government of Canada will continue to abide by principles of safety, protection, and accessibility as the Canadian approach to MAID evolves,” said Duclos. .California has a similar MAID law to Canada, but 374 people used this option in 2017, the first full year it was enacted. California has a population of nearly 40 million people, which is larger than Canada's..The California Department of Public Health said 577 people received the lethal drugs, but not all of them opted to take them. .Canada had 2,838 MAID deaths in 2017. .A 20-year-old man from Fort St. John, BC, had a MAID death in June. .READ MORE: Twenty-year-old BC man chooses assisted death.Eric Coulam’s problems began in 2013 after his mother committed suicide. What began as stomach pains turned into a blockage in his digestive tract, a rupture, and sepsis..Coulam has lost his small intestine and suffers from liver problems, kidney disease, and chronic pain. Visits to numerous doctors and months in hospitals have not offered a diagnosis for his gastrointestinal problems.
