Physician-assisted death includes strict criteria that patients must meet to obtain a doctor's help in dying and now it’s legal in the country for anyone 18 or older, a Canadian citizen, mentally competent, suffering from a “serious and incurable disease, illness or disability,” and in an “advanced state of irreversible decline, with enduring and intolerable suffering.” The law, eventually passed in June 2016, also requires that two independent witnesses be present when the patient signs a request for a medical assistance in dying (MAID).
The St. Boniface Hospital’s president, Bruce Roe, said a survey shows the staff’s desire to continue supporting patients. The new policy was based on feedback from doctors and nurses and an informal survey of staff showed majority support for assisted dying. Of those surveyed, 52% believe that assisted dying must be available to all Canadians in any institution that receives public funding, regardless of that institution’s historical or religious affiliations.
The problem is that Catholics believe euthanasia is a sin and loopholes can be found in literally any law. Catholic Health Corporation of Manitoba (CHCM), the organization governing Winnipeg's St. Boniface Hospital has succeeded to overturn a policy on medically assisted dying, leading the board chair to resign in protest. On May 29, the St. Boniface Hospital board of directors narrowly approved a new policy that would allow medical assistance in dying only under "rare circumstances." The faith-based hospital held a special board meeting the next day and added 10 new members to the hospital's board of directors, and then asked for a revote.
"CHCM is requesting the MAID policy be revisited at the June 12 meeting of the board, with the clear intent of modifying the policy so that there is an absolute prohibition on MAID with no exceptions," then-board chairman Murray Kilfoyle wrote. St. Boniface Hospital said it would not offer the legal service to patients, but it would work with patients to facilitate a transfer.
Recently retired Liberal senator James Cowan was part of the special parliamentary joint committee on assisted dying and is on the board of directors of Dying With Dignity, a non-profit organization committed to protecting end-of-life rights. He said that any health-care professional with a conscientious, ethical or religious objection would be able to opt out of participating in the MAID. "But I never felt that should extend to institutions," he said. "I didn't see how, particularly publicly funded institutions, could opt out of providing a service which is permitted by law like medical assistance in dying."
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