'Deep soul searching' as northwestern Ontario doctors discuss medical assistance in dying

Superior Morning8:42Medical Assistance in Death presentation

Medical assistance in death is now legal in Canada. But many people still have questions about the process. A special panel discussion in Thunder Bay will look at the accessibility of the procedure, and some of the lingering ethical dilemmas.

Medical assistance in dying has not yet been delivered in northwestern Ontario, says Dr. Kevin Miller, a palliative care physician at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, but health care providers in the region are actively preparing for that eventuality.

In June, the federal government introduced legislation that allows eligible adults, who are facing a life-threatening or terminal illness, to have their death hastened with the assistance of a physician, or a nurse practitioner.

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"The struggle we face here now is how do we deliver this, and how do we do this in an effective and safe manner, respecting the autonomy of our individual patients," while also respecting the opinions and feelings of the family, and the right of health care providers to conscientiously object to the procedure, said Miller.

He is part of a committee at the regional hospital discussing how to deliver the procedure and who will perform it, an important consideration given there are fewer doctors in this part of the province.

"In northwestern Ontario, our depth of the field is potentially smaller and so therefore we need to find those people who are willing and really have done some deep soul searching as to what their role can be in order to provide this very important service, " said Dr. Miller.

Assisting in that soul searching is the job of Michelle Allain, a bioethicist in Thunder Bay.

"Giving thought to these issues, ensuring that we have pathways and ensuring that our health care providers have thought about what their own values and beliefs are associated with this topic, is critical so that when we do receive a request, we're prepared and we can make that process as smooth as possible for the patient," said Allain.

The Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health in Thunder Bay is offering a public presentation Wednesday night to answer some of the questions people may have about medical assistance in dying.

Topics include:

• define Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)
• discuss recent legislation, guidelines and liability concerns
• identify the rights of the public and accessibility
• recognize protective measures for vulnerable people
• discuss impacts on the medical community, conscientious objection and ethical dilemmas

Panelists include Michelle Allain, Dr. Kevin Miller, lawyer Mariette Brennan and Sheila Noyes of Dying with Dignity Canada, with Cathy Alex of CBC Thunder Bay as the moderator.

The presentation is free and open to the public, but interested participants must register or contact Deb Riddell at (807) 766-7271 or driddell1@lakeheadu.ca

The presentation begins at 7 p.m. at the Victoria Inn.