by Frank Bergman
A Canadian doctor is sounding the alarm as the Liberal government under Prime Minister Mark Carney faces mounting pressure to halt a controversial plan to begin euthanizing people suffering from mental illness.
At a press conference on Parliament Hill, members of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC), including Montreal physician Peter Blusanovics, urged lawmakers to back legislation aimed at stopping what critics warn is a dangerous and irreversible shift.
“A Bypass Toward Suicide”
Dr. Blusanovics, who has treated patients with mental illness, warned that expanding so-called “Medical Assistance in Dying” (MAiD) to this group would effectively abandon vulnerable Canadians.
“Bill C-218 needs to pass to put a stop to euthanasia for people with mental illness,” he said.
“Basic needs are currently not being met in our health care system.”
He issued a stark warning about what the policy represents:
“Without this bill, we are condoning a bypass towards suicide and blatantly admitting defeat.
“Mental illness needs to be properly identified and treated.”
Blusanovics emphasized that patients struggling with mental illness are not seeking death, but relief.
“I know that offering medical aid in dying provides no solution,” he said.
“Everyone deserves the right to be treated with dignity and humanity.”