Newsletter June 2018: Death by neglect

This month marked the second anniversary of the adoption of Bill C-14, legalizing “medical assistance in dying” in Canada. Journalist and Convivium publisher Peter Stockland provides an insightful analysis of the weakness and lack of enforcement of the safeguards in the law.
MAiD and Modern Medicine, June 18, 2018

The Government of Canada has released the Third Interim Report on MAiD which aims at providing a profile of medically assisted deaths in Canada. The report indicates a 30% increase in the number of medically assisted deaths between July 1 and December 31, 2017. This latest report, much like earlier reports, is still lacking in information regarding safeguards to protect vulnerable persons from harm or abuse or coercion, as the Supreme Court cautioned, “to commit suicide at a time of weakness”.

Doctor’s voices 

• Lack of palliative care pushing Quebecers toward medically assisted death, College of Physicians says ‘Patients … could have had no other choice but to ask for medical aid in dying to end their days in dignity’.
• Even the Collège des Médecins in Quebec, which was one of the principal proponents of the euthanasia law, has sounded a strong warning note about patients “choosing” medical aid in dying purely because palliative care isn’t available.
• Dr. Sylvia Baribeau talks about Living life fully and right to the end.
  
• Press Conference (June 12, 2018) Physicians denounce lack of free informed consent & safeguards of medical aid in dying laws: 10 Quebec doctors denounce the fact that the health care system is forcing people to accept “medical aid in dying” rather “than medical aid in living”.If you have an article, letter or interview relevant to our work published in any media, please let us know at info@collectifmedecins.org.

Call to action

• The Government of Canada has released the third interim report on MAiD across Canada which aims at providing a profile of medically assisted deaths in Canada.
• The Collège des médecins du Québec has called for nominations for the Board of Directors. The election period for the Greater Montréal area is currently underway and will end on October 3, 2018. Candidacy applications must be sent by email to elections@cmq.orgno later than Friday, August 31, 2018 at 4:00 pm.
  We strongly encourage you to participate by voting and/or by submitting your candidacy. This is an excellent opportunity for physicians opposed to euthanasia and in favour of high quality palliative care to become involved in shaping policy.
• Health Canada wants your input as they develop a palliative care framework. You can participate (and promote the value of palliative care) in two ways:

1. Online discussions (with new topics every couple of weeks) and
2. Written submissions: Submit your story of palliative care or share your comments by email: (End.of.life.care_Soins.fin.de.vie@hc-sc.gc.ca)

• In view of the upcoming Quebec general election scheduled for October 1, 2018, we invite you, to join forces with many concerned groups and citizens to express to politicians and the media our deep concern about the woeful state of Palliative Care in Québec. We urge you to consider writing to your Member of the National Assembly (MNA) and to a major or local newspaper or radio and television stations, expressing your concerns.  Please click for more details.

In the news 

• The Government of Canada has released the third interim report on MAiD across Canada which aims at providing a profile of medically assisted deaths in Canada.
• At their annual convention in Chicago, the American Medical Association (AMA), decided not to immediately accept the recommendation of the AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA) to maintain the Association’s opposition to physician-assisted suicide, and requested further review of the question.
• The Maison Aline-Chrétien was inaugurated in April in Shawinigan, the first palliative care home in the region.  The beginning was inauspicious: the very first patient to move in, 27-year-old Karine Duval, was euthanized.
• Opinion: L’aide médicale à mourir, toujours un vrai choix ? La Presse+, by Marie-Claude Joannis (Social worker), 2 June 2018: The author draws attention to the enormous risk we take by legalizing euthanasia without having an adequately funded, comprehensive palliative care policy.

From the trenches

• Our right to quality palliative care by Aubert Martin June 20, 2018
• How crazy is it to encourage the mentally ill to kill themselves?
  Charles Lewis reflects on the recent, tragic, celebrity suicide deaths. He highlights the contradictory response that society has towards such high-profile suicides (deep sadness and regret) and efforts to promote euthanasia.
• The Canadian Medical Protective Association published an article on Medical assistance in dying: where do we stand two years later?
  Note the last paragraph:

“Recognizing the challenge of balancing rights, conscientiously objecting physicians should comply with their College’s requirements, while respectfully and appropriately following their personal views.”

What on earth does that mean? Recall that at the CMPA annual meeting in 2015 the following
resolution was adopted:

“BE IT RESOLVED THAT the CMPA strongly consider assisting in the defence of members in matters involving the exercise of their freedoms of conscience, religion, and professional judgment.

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the CMPA engage with other stakeholders to express members’ concerns about mandatory obligations that interfere with those freedoms.”

In the literature 

• American Thoracic Society, May 21, 2018. Palliative care may reduce suicide risk in veterans with advanced lung cancer.
• Journal of Palliative Care, January 1, 2018. Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia: Emerging Issues From a Global Perspective. Several prominent scholars propose five reasons why physicians shouldn’t be involved in physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia.
• Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Social Causes of Rational Suicide in Older Adults. Elizabeth Dzeng MD, PhD, MPH and Steven Z. Pantilat MD, 02 March 2018

Commentary by Wesley Smith: How contemporary society promotes elder suicide. National Review (online) June 20, 2018

• The Lancet.  Health-care provider as witness. Volume 388, No. 10051, p1272–1273, 24 September 2016. Harvey Max Chochinov 

 If you come across articles that could be of interest to colleagues in the Alliance please send the reference to info@collectifmedecins.org.

SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS so that we can continue to speak on your behalf:

Increase our media impact:

• Invite your entourage to become a supporter of the Physicians’ Alliance >>
• Invite your entourage to follow us on Twitter >>
• Invite your entourage to like our Facebook page >>
• Invite your entourage to subscribe to our Youtube channel >>