Mental illness and assisted death: a front-line doctor's fears
Medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Canada is soon expanding to include people with mental illness as a sole condition. We hear from a psychiatrist and MAID provider who says doctors aren’t ready and there’s not enough oversight in the system to protect vulnerable people.
This spring brings a significant update to medical assistance in dying, known as MAID, in Canada. On March 17, 2023, Canadians with a mental illness as their sole condition will be eligible.
This evolution is controversial. The change also has some doctors who have been at the forefront of helping people die medically, called MAID providers, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.
Dr. Madeline Li is one of them. She is a psychiatrist and a MAID provider who developed the MAID framework for the University Health Network in Toronto. She joins Front Burner today to share her concerns.