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Health

Canadian provinces push back after Trudeau’s health minister says MAiD will eventually be expanded

Published

11 months ago

6 minute read

Liberal Health Minister Mark Holland

From LifeSiteNews

BY Clare Marie Merkowsky

Holland has told Canadians that the government, is still seeking to expand MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) to those suffering from mental health issues; it just needs more time to prepare the ‘system.’

The Trudeau government still intends to provide euthanasia to mentally ill Canadians, but provincial health ministers are asking for the measure to be “indefinitely” postponed.   

On January 30, health ministers from Ontario, Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut appealed to Liberal Health Minister Mark Holland to “indefinitely pause” expanding MAiD eligibility to the mentally ill.   

On January 29, Holland told Canadians that the Liberal government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, is still seeking to expand MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) to those suffering from mental health issues; it just needs more time to prepare the “system.” 

“We agree with the conclusion that the committee has come to that the system is not ready, and more time is required,” Holland told reporters, referring to a report that “fundamental issues” regarding the expansion have yet to be resolved.   

The new provision, which was to take effect in March, would have relaxed legislation around so-called MAiD to include those suffering solely from mental illness. This is a result of the 2021 passage of Bill C-7, which also allowed the chronically ill – not just the terminally ill – to qualify for so-called doctor-assisted death. 

On Monday, following pushback from Canadians, Holland announced that Canada is not ready for the expansion and has determined to delay it. However, Holland stressed that this is not an abandonment of the new policy but merely a postponement.  

“What we’re saying is that … someone in that intractable situation … should have that right, but the system needs to be ready, and the system needs to get it right,” he added, not explaining how being killed would help their situation.  

Holland did not reveal when the expansion is expected to take effect but disclosed that “those individuals are gonna have to wait a little longer” to end their lives by lethal injection.  

The Liberal government’s desire to expand MAiD to those suffering with mental health issues comes despite several experts, and provincial health ministers, warning against the move.  

RELATED: Canada’s top pro-life group urges Trudeau gov’t to drop euthanasia expansion entirely

The provincial health ministers’ appeal echoes that of leading Canadian psychiatrist Dr. K. Sonu Gaind, who testified that the expansion of MAiD “is not so much a slippery slope as a runaway train.” 

Similarly, in November, several Canadian psychiatrists warned that the country is “not ready” for the coming expansion of euthanasia to those who are mentally ill. They said that further liberalizing the procedure is not something that “society should be doing” as it could lead to deaths under a “false pretence.” 

The expansion of euthanasia to those with mental illness even has the far-left New Democratic Party (NDP) concerned. Dismissing these concerns, a Trudeau Foundation fellow actually said Trudeau’s current euthanasia regime is marked by “privilege,” assuring the Canadian people that most of those being put to death are “white,” “well off,” and “highly educated.” 

The most recent reports show that MAiD is the sixth highest cause of death. However, it was not listed as such in Statistics Canada’stop 10 leading causes of death from 2019 to 2022. When asked why MAiD was left off the list, the agency explained that it records the illnesses that led Canadians to choose to end their lives via euthanasia, not the actual cause of death, as the primary cause of death.

According to Health Canada, in 2022, 13,241 Canadians died by MAiD lethal injections. This accounts for 4.1 percent of all deaths in the country for that year,a 31.2 percent increase from 2021.    

While the numbers for 2023 have yet to be released, all indications point to a situation even more grim than 2022. 

Meanwhile, the pro-life Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC)has  launched a campaign to have the expansion thrown out. The campaign includes a rally and media conference on Parliament Hill on February 6 at 11 a.m. local time. 

The movement also features a parliamentary postcard campaign, encouraging Canadians to  send letters stating: “I demand that the government reverse its decision to permit ‘MAiD’ for mental illness alone.”  

EPC also launched a petition to urge the Justice Minister  to offer real care to those suffering from mental illness and not death by lethal injection.

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Alberta

Province says Alberta family doctors will be the best-paid and most patient-focused in the country

Published on December 19, 2024

By

Dr. Shelley Duggan, president, Alberta Medical Association

New pay model, better access to family doctors

Alberta’s government is implementing a new primary care physician compensation model to improve access to family physicians across the province.

Alberta’s government recognizes that family physicians are fundamental to strengthening the health care system. Unfortunately, too many Albertans do not currently have access to regular primary care from a family physician. This is why, last year, the government entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) and committed to developing a new primary care physician compensation model.

Alberta’s government will now be implementing a new compensation model for family doctors to ensure they continue practising in the province and to attract more doctors to choose Alberta, which will also alleviate pressures in other areas of the health care system.

This new model will make Alberta’s family doctors the strongest-paid and most patient-focused in the country.

“Albertans must be able to access a primary care provider. We’ve been working hard with our partners at the Alberta Medical Association to develop a compensation model that will not only support Alberta’s doctors but also improve Albertans’ access to physicians. Ultimately, our deal will make Alberta an even more attractive place to practise family medicine.”

Danielle Smith, Premier

“We have worked with the Alberta Medical Association to address the challenges that primary care physicians are facing. This model will provide the supports physicians need and improve patient access to the care they need.”

Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health

The new model is structured to encourage physicians to grow the number of patients they care for and encourage full-time practice. Incentives include increases for:

  • Maintaining high panel numbers (minimum of 500 patients), which will incentivize panel growth and improve access to primary care for patients.
  • Providing after-hours care to relieve pressure on emergency departments and urgent care centres.
  • Improving technology to encourage using tools that help streamline work and enhance patient care.
  • Enhancing team-based care, which will encourage developing integrated teams that may include family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, dietitians and pharmacists to provide patients with the best care possible.
  • Adding efficiencies in clinical operations to simplify processes for both patients and health care providers.

As a market and evidence-based model, it recognizes and pays for the critically important work of physicians, including the number of patients seen and patient complexity, as well as time spent providing direct and indirect care.

“Family medicine is the foundation of our health care system. This model recognizes the extensive training, experience and leadership of primary care physicians, and we hope it will help Alberta to attract and retain more family medicine specialists who provide comprehensive care.”

Dr. Shelley Duggan, president, Alberta Medical Association

Additionally, family physicians who are not compensated through the traditional fee-for-service model will now receive higher pay rates under their payment model, known as the alternative relationship plan. This includes those who provide inpatient care in hospitals and rural generalists. Alberta’s government is increasing this to ensure hospital-based family physicians and rural generalists also receive fair, competitive pay that reflects the importance of these roles.

“This new compensation model will make Alberta more attractive for physicians and will make sure more Albertans can have improved access to a primary care provider no matter where they live. It will also help support efforts to strengthen primary care in Alberta as the foundation of the health care system.”

Kim Simmonds, CEO, Primary Care Alberta

“Family physicians have been anxiously awaiting this announcement about the new compensation model. We anticipate this model will allow many primary care physicians to continue to deliver comprehensive, lifelong care to their patients while keeping their community clinics viable.”

Dr. Sarah Bates, president, family medicine section, Alberta Medical Association

Quick facts

  • Enrolment in the primary care physician compensation model will begin in January with full implementation in spring 2025, provided there are at least 500 physicians enrolled.
  • The alternative relationship plan rate has not been updated since it was initially calculated in 2002.
  • The new compensation model for family doctors is the latest primary health care improvement following actions that include:
    • A $42-million investment to recruit more health providers and expand essential services.
    • A new rural and remote bursary program for family medicine resident physicians.
    • Additional funding of $257 million to stabilize primary care delivery and improve access to family physicians.
    • Implementing the Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Program, which expands the role of nurse practitioners by allowing them to practise comprehensive patient care autonomously, either by operating their own practices or working independently within existing primary care settings.

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Health

Trump doubles down on using RFK Jr. to study possible link between vaccines and autism

Published on December 19, 2024

By

From LifeSiteNews

By Stephen Kokx

During a free-flowing press conference at Mar-a-Lago Monday, Donald Trump mentioned the sharp rise in autism in recent decades, adding that he has experts ‘looking to find out’ if vaccines may be the cause.

Donald Trump is doubling down on his intention to study a possible link between vaccines and autism in children.  

During a free-flowing press conference at Mar-a-Lago Monday, the incoming president said there are “problems” with the massive increase in autism cases in America over the past several decades and that he intends to get to the bottom of it. 

“30 years ago, we had, I’ve heard numbers like 1 in 200,000, 1 in 100,000. Now I’m hearing numbers like 1 in 100. So, something’s wrong … and we’re going to find out about it,” he said.  

 

Trump’s remarks come just days after he told MSNBC anchor Kristen Welker that his choice to lead the Heath and Human Services Department, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., will be tasked with investigating the matter.  

“Certain vaccines are incredible but maybe some aren’t, and if they aren’t, we have to find out … the drug companies are going to be working with RFK Jr,” he said. 

 

During COVID-19, Dr. Sherri Tenpenny joined a LifeSiteNews panel discussion on the science regarding the COVID shots. She warned that the experimental injections do not even qualify for the term “vaccine.”  

In October 2022, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) unanimously voted 15-0 to add COVID-19 shots to the U.S. childhood, adolescent and adult vaccine schedules.  

Dr. Tenpenny warned about the dangers of the current vaccination schedule while attending the world premier of The Great Awakening documentary in June 2023.

“If a child gets all of the vaccines in the entire schedule, they get almost 13,000 micrograms of aluminum, and they get almost 600 micrograms of mercury, plus over 200 different chemicals,” she said. “So that’s why they’ve never been proven to be safe.” 

 

The upcoming 2025 Immunization Schedule approved by the CDC now recommends 36 vaccinations for children from the time they are in their mother’s womb until they are two years old (four doses are given to the pregnant mother while 32 doses are injected in the child from birth to 24 months).   

Dr. Simone Gold has called for an investigation into the current vaccination schedule.  

“In the 1960’s children received 5 vaccine shots in total. Today, the CDC says that children should receive 72 vaccine shots, a majority of them before the age of 6. The CDC is known for corruptly advancing Big Pharma interests. This schedule needs to be investigated further,” she said on X in September. 

 

The CDC currently advises children to receive 70 doses before they turn 18. This is a massive increase from the 1980s, when they received 24 doses. Many medical freedom activists blame the explosion in shots on the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act which gave vaccine makers legal protection from any harm their products inflict on those who receive them. 

Doctors and medical freedom activists, including RFK Jr., have long maintained that the massive uptick in autism in recent decades is likely due to the increases in vaccines for children. 

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