By Independent News Roundup
Canada’s taxpayer-funded euthanasia program is drawing renewed scrutiny after a new report found that the government has already been quietly performing thousands of same-day “assisted suicides.”
The revelations come as Canada continues expanding its Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) system, a program critics warn is rapidly transforming the country’s approach to healthcare, disability, and end-of-life care.
Thousands of Same-Day Assisted Deaths Reported
A new report found that the MAiD program has already carried out thousands of same-day euthanasia procedures.
In Ontario alone, more than 200 people were euthanized within 24 hours of being approved in 2023, according to a 2024 provincial report cited by the Free Press.
Of the 219 deaths recorded in the review, roughly 30 percent occurred on the same day approval was granted.
Nationwide, approximately 16,500 Canadians died through the MAiD program in 2024.
Troubling Case Raises Questions
The Ontario report also described disturbing individual cases that critics say raise serious questions about how the program operates.
One case involved an elderly woman identified only as Mrs. B.
The woman, who was in her 80s, had previously undergone coronary artery bypass surgery and experienced complications that required additional operations.
After her condition worsened, she initially expressed interest in assisted suicide.
However, according to the report, Mrs. B later reconsidered and told a MAiD practitioner she wished to withdraw her request.
She cited religious and personal reasons and said she wanted to continue hospice care and palliative sedation instead.
Despite her decision to withdraw the request, the process continued, as Slay News previously reported.
Physicians later cited her husband’s “caregiver burnout” when evaluating the case.
A request was made for inpatient hospice care to support the family, but it was denied.
A second practitioner determined the woman remained eligible for MAiD despite her previous withdrawal.
Although the practitioner declined to authorize a same-day procedure due to the “drastic change in perspective” and concerns about potential coercion, the case continued.
A third evaluator later visited the woman at home and approved the procedure.
Hours later, Mrs. B was euthanized with a lethal injection, against her own wishes.
Questions About Patient Consent
Another case described in the report involved a man identified as Mr. C.
Mr. C requested assisted suicide five days after being hospitalized for cancer.
His condition rapidly deteriorated, and he became delirious.
According to the report, a medical provider “proceeded to vigorously rouse” him so he could mouth “yes” when asked if he still wanted the procedure.
He was subsequently euthanized.
Reflection Period Eliminated in 2021
Canada removed the program’s original 10-day waiting period in 2021, allowing patients to proceed with euthanasia much more quickly after approval.
Patients whose deaths are considered reasonably foreseeable can now be approved without the previous reflection period, provided they demonstrate their suffering is “intolerable.”
Those whose natural death is not considered imminent are technically subject to a 90-day waiting period and must receive approval from two physicians.
However, the Free Press reported that some procedures had occurred before the 90-day period ended.
An exception exists for patients who may lose the capacity to consent during the waiting period.
Thousands of Medical Providers Involved
More than 2,200 doctors and nurse practitioners participated in Canada’s euthanasia program in 2024.
Federal data shows about 100 of those providers performed more than 30 assisted deaths each.
Families Speak Out
Canada’s MAiD program has also faced backlash from families of individuals who died under the system.
One of the most prominent cases involved 26-year-old Kiano Vafaeian, who struggled with “seasonal depression” and partial blindness.
His family said his condition often worsened during the winter months and that earlier requests for assisted suicide had been denied.
Eventually, his request was approved.
The family later accused a physician involved in the case of coaching the young man on how to qualify.
“We believe that she was coaching him on how to deteriorate his body and what she can possibly approve him for and what she can get away with approving him for,” his mother, Marsilla, said.
“We don’t want to see any other family member suffer, or any country introduce a piece of legislation that kills their disabled or vulnerable without appropriate proper treatment plans that could save their lives,” she added.
Debate Over Expanding the Program
Canada has already approved plans to expand the MAiD program to include individuals suffering solely from mental illness.
However, the expansion has been delayed amid concerns about how eligibility will be evaluated.
Patients in this category will not be able to access the program until at least March 17, 2027, while a parliamentary committee studies the issue.
The debate over the program continues as critics warn that the system is expanding faster than safeguards can keep pace.
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