Medically-assisted suicide

I read with interest “Medically-assisted suicide sparks scandal at Canadian Jewish elderly home” (Website, January 7). While I was glad to see this important Canadian work being profiled globally, I was sorry to see an important point being missed.

Patient Barry Hyman requested an assisted death, which is now a constitutionally guaranteed right in Canada. He followed the entire process to ensure eligibility, including assessment by two independent clinicians, and then requested that death be at his home. His legal residence was the Louis Brier Nursing Home, not a hospital or healthcare facility requiring doctor’s privileges to attend. It is, however, a publicly funded facility.

Dr. Ellen Wiebe was trying to respect her patient’s request for privacy. She was under no obligation to report her presence or have anyone’s permission other than that of Mr. Hyman to assist him. His family was in full support of his wishes.

It should be noted that in Canada, we fully respect the right of any clinician to conscientiously object to participating in this work. However, there are likely no grounds for publicly funded facilities such as the Brier Home to decide to opt out of allowing legal, government-funded medical services on their premises.

As president of the Canadian Association of MAiD [Medical Assistance in Dying] Assessors and Providers, I would like to point out that we have a number of professional and personal responsibilities, the first of which, according to the CMA Code of Ethics, is to “consider first the well-being of the patient.” This becomes much more difficult when facilities impose barriers for the most vulnerable individuals in our care. STEFANIE GREEN Victoria, BC The writer is on the clinical faculty at the University of British Columbia/University of Victoria.