Humanists welcome lawsuit against St Paul’s MAID obstructions
Publisher: In-Sight Publishing
Publisher Founding: September 1, 2014
Publisher Location: Fort Langley, Township of Langley, British Columbia, Canada
Publication: Freethought Newswire
Original Link: https://www.bchumanist.ca/humanists_welcome_lawsuit_against_st_paul_s_maid_obstructions
Publication Date: June 19, 2024
Organization: British Columbia Humanist Association
Organization Description: The British Columbia Humanist Association has been providing a community and voice for Humanists, atheists, agnostics, and the non-religious of Metro Vancouver and British Columbia since 1982. We support the growth of Humanist communities across BC, provide Humanist ceremonies, and campaign for progressive and secular values.
The BC Humanist Association (BCHA) supports the legal action taken by Dr Jyothi Jayaraman and the family of Samantha O’Neill against Providence Health Care and the Province of British Columbia. The lawsuit challenges health authority and provincial policies prohibiting medical assistance in dying (MAID) within the facilities, violating patients’ Charter rights.
Last year, Samantha O’Neill sought end-of-life care at St Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. Providence Health Care is a Catholic organization that opposes MAID and operates the hospital. Providence’s policies required O’Neill to transfer to a secular facility to access MAID. Tragically, Samantha died shortly after being heavily sedated for the transfer.
Ian Bushfield, Executive Director, BCHA:
No one should suffer needlessly at the end of life. Denying patients the right to a dignified death, including saying goodbye to loved ones, is a violation of their fundamental rights.
In 1995, the Government of BC signed a Master Agreement with religious healthcare facilities permitting them to establish policies that “preserve the spiritual nature of the facility.” At the time, this largely meant they could refuse to provide abortion and reproductive healthcare. Following the Carter decision, the boards of many of these faith-based facilities also blocked access to MAID.
These policies have persisted even though the overwhelming majority of Canadians, including those with a religious faith, support MAID.
The BCHA has previously called on the province to tear up the Master Agreement, saying it undermines the government’s duty of religious neutrality. Hundreds of constituents have said the same to their MLA.
Bushfield added:
We are watching this lawsuit closely and will continue urging the province to stop putting the interests of these institutions ahead of the rights of individual British Columbians. Those who agree should call on their MLA, and candidates in the upcoming election, to support equitable access to healthcare.
Dying With Dignity Canada is acting as the public interest litigant in the case and is represented by Arvay Finlay. They are seeking additional stories of individuals who’ve been subjected to a forced transfer due to institutional religious obstructions. Share your story
License
In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on work at www.in-sightpublishing.com.
Copyright
© Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing 2012-Present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Scott Douglas Jacobsen, or the author(s), and In-Sight Publishing with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. All interviewees and authors copyright their material, as well, and may disseminate for their independent purposes.
In-Sight Publishing 