Is Canada using euthanasia law to end its poverty ?: National debate for two homeless women seeking help for suicide

Cases Two poor homeless women Those who have been asked to end their lives under auxiliary suicide laws in Canada have once again begun the debate over this type of law in the country. One of them has already done that. Another, it is going to achieve.

In February, a 51-year-old Ontario woman named Sofia died with the help of a doctor because her chronic health was unbearable, and she could not survive on her meager disability allowance, CTV News reported.

“The government sees me as wasted, complaining, useless rubbish, and a pain in the ass.”He said in the video that spread on the networks. For two years, she and her friends failed for better living conditions because the woman was homeless.

The second case shares several parallels. Another girl called Denise. After not having enough homes and struggling to survive on disability payments, he applied to end his life.

Both were found to have multiple chemical sensitivity (MCR). Common chemicals such as cigarette smoke and laundry detergent can cause nausea, dizziness and, in severe cases, anaphylactic shock.

Both women argued that specialized homes, where ventilation was highly controlled, would ease their weak symptoms. Unable to work, they each receive $ 1,169 a month, which is below the poverty line in Canada’s most populous and expensive province.

But in the case of Denise, her request to end her life has not yet been approved.

Two high-profile lawsuits have sparked outrage and outrage, and shed light on Canada’s death rights laws. Critics argue that it is being misused to punish the poor and sick.

At the end of April, the Viewer Published a story with a provocative title: Why is Canada sacrificing the poor?

But medical and legal experts warn that the exaggerated media coverage of cases fails to capture the facts of the system, with sensational coverage A few “serious” cases ignore a major crisis in the country’s health systems.

For operators These cases represented a lack of focus on Canada’s most vulnerable citizens and raised questions about how suicide enforcement laws are enforced.

But experts warn that instead of looking at how governments can improve the lives of people with disabilities, these cases are being used by groups opposing medical assistance in death (maid).

“Inadequate housing is not one of the criteria for eligibility for medical care. While a person’s living conditions may contribute to their suffering, they do not create the serious and irreversible medical condition they should be in. ” Said Chandel Perot, the maid’s doctor and presenter.

While housing may have helped, Perot said it was part of a larger struggle against the chronic condition.

“The only treatment for it is to avoid all stimuli. It is almost impossible to do this in normal life. So the best houses can create a temporary bubble for one person, but there is no cure for this.”Said.

“We do this work because we believe in the right to help people die. It is not always easy to do that, but we know that patients need and value it. We live with the challenge of work because it is important to alleviate that suffering.He added.

When Canada introduced the Assisted Suicide Act in 2016, prosecuting groups feared that vulnerable people would be targeted or that doctors would be forced to rescind their pledges to protect patents.

Last year, lawmakers revised the criteria for MAID after the country’s Supreme Court ruled that an earlier version of the law exempting people with disabilities was unconstitutional.

Again, the issue is before the Special Joint Parliamentary Committee, which will decide whether to extend access to consent children and those suffering from mental illness.

Jocelyn Downey, Dalhousie’s law professor and life policy finalist consulted by The Guardian, said the system has comprehensive protections to protect Canadians.

“You have to meet strict eligibility criteria. Being poor, homeless or not having the right home for you does not qualify you.” Downey said.

Cases involving a chronic condition are often time consuming because physicians work to resolve all other options to alleviate the suffering of their patients.

Downey said more emphasis should be placed on support for the disabled and services and mental support, rather than law enforcement fighting lawmakers because of the string of Supreme Court cases that uphold the right to death with the help of a doctor.

The debate is open, while Denise expects a decision that will allow her to end her life voluntarily.

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