Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program, initially designed for adults with terminal illnesses, is now the subject of heated debate. Recent discussions include proposals to allow “mature minors” access to MAiD and suggestions from Quebec doctors that, in extremely rare cases, euthanasia could be considered for newborns with severe medical conditions.
00:00Canada's medical assistance in dying or MAID has been available since 2016 for adults with serious, incurable medical conditions experiencing intolerable suffering.
00:11Initially limited to those whose deaths were reasonably foreseeable, the law was expanded in 2021 with Bill C-7, removing the requirement that death be imminent.
00:21This change allows a broader range of adults with grievous medical conditions to access MAID.
00:27Recent years have seen discussions about whether the programme could or should be extended to other groups.
00:32One proposal that has drawn attention is the possibility of allowing mature minors, children considered capable of making informed decisions, to access MAID without parental consent.
00:44Parliamentary reports have examined this idea, but it is important to note that it has not been enacted into law.
00:50Experts, including ethicists and medical professionals, continue to debate the implications of such a step.
00:57Separately, the Quebec College of Physicians has suggested that, in very rare cases, euthanasia could be considered for newborns with severe medical conditions.
01:06This suggestion has sparked discussion among professionals and the public about the ethical and moral questions involved.
01:13No Canadian law currently allows MAID for minors or newborns.
01:17The debates also extend to adults facing extreme social and economic challenges.
01:23There have been cases of individuals applying for MAID due to homelessness or poverty, raising questions about the influence of social factors on end-of-life decisions.
01:32As Canada navigates these discussions, it highlights broader questions about autonomy, medical ethics and social responsibility.
01:39MAID was originally intended only for older adults facing very harsh terminal conditions, but in just a few years, the law has expanded to include a much wider range of situations.
01:51And it's Canada, where a person struggling to pay rent might face the very same options as someone with a terminal illness.
01:57Third, minors from 14 to 7 years of age, nearly 18, the committee recommends, and the board of directors supports as well,
02:11that these minors could, with their tutors or parental parent, could make a request for MAID based on the level of persistent and intolerable suffering that they may experience
02:28and become unmanageable and senseless.
02:32The same for babies from 0 to 1 years of age who are born with severe deformations, very grave and severe syndromes, medical syndromes,
02:45whose life expectancy and level of suffering are such that it would make sense to ensure that they do not suffer.
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