Human rights advocates say, Canada’s regulations related to Euthanasia lack necessary safeguards. It devalues the lives of disabled people and is prompting doctors and health workers to suggest the procedure to those who might not otherwise consider it. Here is more on it.
Here’s a story of a man who requested euthanasia
Alan Nichols had a history of depression and other medical issues. These were not life-threatening diseases. The 61-year-old Canadian was hospitalized in June 2019 for fear he might be suicidal. It is important to note that he asked his brother to “bust him out” as soon as possible.
Within a month, Nichols submitted a request to be euthanized and he was killed. The action was taken despite concerns raised by his family and a nurse practitioner. His application for euthanasia listed only one health condition as the reason for his request to die: hearing loss.
Nichols’ family reported the case to police and health authorities, arguing that he lacked the capacity to understand the process and was not suffering unbearably. It was among the requirements for euthanasia. They say he was not taking needed medication. Moreover, he wasn’t using the cochlear implant that helped him hear, and hospital staffers improperly helped him request euthanasia.
“Alan was basically put to death,” his brother Gary Nichols said
The story is not unique in Canada, says the Disability experts. Canada arguably has the world’s most permissive euthanasia rules. It allowed people with serious disabilities to choose to be killed in the absence of any other medical issue.
While Canadians support euthanasia, human rights activists oppose the same. The advocacy group Dying With Dignity says the procedure is “driven by compassion, an end to suffering and discrimination and desire for personal autonomy.” Human Rights advocates say, “there are instances in which people have sought to be killed because they weren’t getting adequate government support to live.”
Canada’s law had a “discriminatory impact” on disabled people
Canada is set to expand euthanasia access next year. However, the advocates say that the system warrants further scrutiny now. Euthanasia “cannot be a default for Canada’s failure to fulfill its human rights obligations,” said Marie-Claude Landry, the head of its Human Rights Commission.
Landry said she shares the “grave concern” voiced last year by three U.N. human rights experts. They wrote that Canada’s euthanasia law appeared to violate the agency’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They claim that the law had a “discriminatory impact” on disabled people. Moreover, it was inconsistent with Canada’s obligations to uphold international human rights standards.
