4 Nova Scotians being assessed for possible doctor-assisted death

Four Nova Scotians want to die with the help of a doctor and their cases arebeing assessed to determine whether that's possible, the Nova Scotia Health Authority said Friday.

Since Tuesday, when medically assisted dying became legal in Canada, seven people in the province have asked if they qualify.

Three of those cases "are no longer current," said John Gillis, a spokesperson for the health authority. That means there has been a change in their conditions, their wishes or some other reason.

• Here's a list of the strict assisted death guidelines across most of Canada

Mandatory criteria

The Nova Scotia Health Authority has said adults who meet the following mandatory criteria are eligible to receive help from a doctor to die:

• An adult who is competent.
• An adult who clearly consents to the termination of life.
• An adult who has a grievous and irremediable medical condition (including an illness, disease or disability) that causes enduring suffering that is intolerable to the individual in the circumstances of his/her condition.

The health authority has promised to provide a private, safe and peaceful space for patients who want a doctor-assisted death, but the woman who helped draft that plan has warned that may not be possible in every community.

Need proper staff, medications, privacy

"You have to make sure that you have the physicians and the team that's able to do it, access to the medications and that you can ensure that privacy," said Sandra Janes, the health service director at the Nova Scotia Health Authority.

"If you're in a really small rural town, for instance, it may be really difficult to ensure the privacy for family members. So those are all the things that need to be taken into consideration when you're making sure you're finding the best place possible."

There may also be facilities where doctors simply refuse to take part in a physician-assisted death.

"What we're saying to our staff is, 'If you're not comfortable, you're not going to be forced to,'" said Janes.

Waiting for guidelines

Hospitals are not being asked to create or set aside rooms specifically for doctor-assisted deaths. Instead, the procedure will be done in the most appropriate space available.

Earlier this week, Justice Minister Diana Whalen said provincial directives on medically assisted death should be coming "within a few days."

The push came after Nova Scotia's medical colleges called for a guarantee from the province's chiefs of police and Public Prosecution Service that health-care professionals participating in medically assisted deaths would be protected from prosecution.