It was decided this week by a Parliamentary Committee to pause the expansion of medical assistance in dying indefinitely for those who struggle with mental illness.
A little background:
- In 2021, Parliament enacted a temporary exclusion to exempt individuals who suffer solely from a grievous and irremediable mental illness from being eligible for medical assistance in dying, pending further review.
- In 2022, a report reiterated the importance of standards of practice, clear guidelines, adequate training, comprehensive patient assessments and meaningful oversight in advance of the eligibility exclusion being lifted.
- In 2024, a report concluded that Canada was not ready to proceed with approving the eligibility for those with mental illness
- This pause was set to expire in March 2027
A large reason for the decision this week, was that the Committee felt that a) our healthcare system is not equipped to handle this change, and b) there is not enough criteria in place yet, and concerns that safe conditions cannot be met.
There is another concern that stems from observing experiences in Europe, where a pattern of requests were from those who were experience trauma, poverty and few or no social supports, all issues that governments should address before MAID becomes an option.
Check out this latest CBC The Current piece on an insight view into this recent decision.
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