The Canadian government has chosen to postpone opening up euthanasia or medically assisted dying facilities to those with mental illness in response to criticism from several quarters.
David Lametti, Canada’s justice minister, said last week that the government was paying attention and that more time was needed to perfect the proposal.
‘To ensure that we proceed wisely, we are paying attention to what we hear and responding accordingly. We are aware that doing this correctly will both safeguard the weak and promote a person’s autonomy and freedom of choice,’ he stated.
The administration had previously maintained plans to extend the use of medical assistance in dying (MAiD) commencing in mid-March of 2019.
The critics of the law argue that the Canadian healthcare system is not prepared enough to handle complicated mental illness cases. Expediting the facility to all could have had far-reaching and in some cases, devastating consequences.
A petition filed by the Society of Canadian Psychiatry, a national voluntary professional association with 4,700 psychiatrists on the roster has urged the government to delay the expansion of MAiD until 2024.
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