Went to Depression Counseling but Hospital Authorized 'Dignified Death'... Canada in Uproar

Hospital Staff Recommend "Have You Considered It?"
Assisted Death (MAID) Legal in Canada

A general hospital in Vancouver, Canada, has sparked controversy after it was revealed that it recommended 'Medical Assistance In Dying (MAID)' drugs to a patient visiting for depression treatment. In Canada, assisted death procedures using medical technology are permitted with approval from two doctors.

According to local media 'Global News' on the 10th (local time), Catherine Mantler, a chronic depression patient, visited the hospital's counseling center on June 2. After consulting with a clinician, Mantler was suggested to see a psychiatrist and decided to stay at the hospital until the psychiatrist arrived.

The incident occurred on the night Mantler was staying at the hospital. A hospital staff member approached her, claiming, "The (hospital) system is completely overwhelmed, and there is a shortage of beds." The staff then asked Mantler, "Have you considered MAID?"

A general hospital in Canada has sparked controversy after reportedly recommending 'assisted death' to a patient suffering from depression.

MAID stands for Medical Assistance In Dying, meaning euthanasia. Mantler told the media, "I was shocked to hear that," and added, "I didn't think this was a space for such a sensitive conversation."

According to Mantler, the clinician even explained in detail how MAID works, including the drugs administered and the specific lethal dosages.

Mantler said she felt "uncomfortable" and was "shocked that people working in the field related to mental illness judge other people's lives without even knowing what the patient's needs are."

She also expressed, "No matter how much someone suffers from mental illness, disability, or chronic disease, no one should judge the value of another person's life."

After the report revealed the facts, the hospital that recommended MAID to Mantler issued a statement saying, "We complied with all Canadian federal regulations, and hospital staff prescribe MAID only after completing a clinical assessment to evaluate the patient's risk."

However, they added, "We deeply apologize to Ms. Mantler for the distress caused by this incident."

Meanwhile, the Canadian government authorized MAID prescriptions starting in 2016. At that time, MAID could only be prescribed to patients with serious illnesses who were nearing death. However, in 2021, it was expanded to patients with "serious and incurable medical conditions" causing "intolerable physical or psychological suffering."

According to Global News, currently over 13,000 patients nationwide in Canada have passed away through MAID.

The Canadian government maintains that prescribing MAID solely on the grounds of mental illness remains illegal until March 17, 2024, to prevent misuse. After that, appropriate prescription guidelines will be implemented.

※ If you or someone around you is struggling with difficult feelings such as depression, you can receive 24-hour expert counseling through suicide prevention hotlines ☎1577-0199, Hope Phone ☎129, Lifeline ☎1588-9191, Youth Phone ☎1388, and others.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.