Despite ‘safeguards,’ abuse is possible in assisted deaths

Re: Vague eligibility for medical aid in dying may put doctors at risk, Aug. 8

Throughout Wanda Morris’ article, she suggests that patients seek MAiD (medical assistance in dying) because of unbearable pain. In reality, 95 per cent of pain can be successfully relieved, and most patients seek MAiD not because of unbearable pain, but because they fear their medical condition will lead to a loss of autonomy.

Morris urges stronger safeguards in Canada’s law. Unfortunately, in Belgium and the Netherlands, whose laws had more stringent safeguards than Canada’s law, experience has shown that safeguards don’t work. Approvals for assisted suicide and euthanasia have moved beyond people with terminal illness to include children, beyond physical pain to depression. Pressure is now being applied to grant approval to those whose only reason is that they feel they have lived a “completed life.”

Despite the “safeguards,” abuses have been documented — patients being euthanized without having made a request. The “peaceful death” we all wish for is possible if excellent palliative care is made available to all Canadians.

Morris mentions that we “cannot hope to compensate doctors for the emotional toll of providing” MAiD. Perhaps that emotional toll comes because doctors instinctively know that providing MAiD is inherently wrong.

Carole Carlson, Surrey