Saskatchewan religious leaders express concerns over assisted dying law

A group of religious leaders from several Saskatchewandenominations is voicing concerns about Canada's new physician-assisted dying law.

More than 30 leaders have signed a 'JointStatement on Freedom of Conscience and Palliative Care'. A handful of those who endorsed the letter metwith Health Minister Dustin Duncan and the oppositionNDP on Tuesday.

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The group is askingfor protection offreedom of conscience for individuals and institutions.

Many of these doctors do see this as a harmful action.- Mary Deutscher, Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon

"No healthcare professionals or institutions should be required to perform an act that violates the individual or collective conscience," the letter states.

Saskatchewan is currently following guidelines set out by the College of Physicians and Surgeons.Under the federal law, health care professionals are not required to take part. According to the college's guidelines, physicians are only asked to refer to another physician.

MaryDeutscherwith theRoman Catholic diocese of Saskatoonsaid the referral itself is an issue.

"There is something different about a direct referral. That actually says you need to find someone who will carry through on what we see as a very harmful action," Deutscher said.

"So do you want to force doctors to have to harm people that they care for?And many of these doctors do see this as a harmful action."

Government willing to look at referral process

The Minister of Health said the province is looking at amending what role doctors will have to play in the referral process. Dustin Duncan said on Tuesday the current bylaws of the College of Physicians and Surgeons may not go far enough.

"Right now (we're) looking atwhat types of options are available to us that would go on the specific issue of referral a little further than what the current bylaws state," Duncan said.

Threat to withdraw care

The province has several faith-based health care providers. Duncan said the group of religious officials he met with told him there could be consequences if facilities are forced to take part in assisted dying.

"They did raise the possibility that faith-based organizations would remove themselves from thedeliveryofhealthcare in the event that their facilities would be forced to provide theservice. That would be a concern," Duncan said.

Improvements to palliative care

Since the Carter decision in 2015 by the Supreme Court of Canada, the clock on a new assisted dying law began to tick.

On Friday, it became law. The group who came to the legislature admitted their timing was off.

"We are playing catch-up in a lot of respects of this issue,"saidRobHardwick,Bishop of the Anglican Diocese ofQu'Appelle."But palliative care,good drug management needs to improve. I wish that had been done first."

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When it comes to end-of-life care, the group said it shouldbe accessible and available to all residents of Saskatchewan.

"Access to Physician Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia in the absence of quality end of life care is not a real choice: the real option is quality hospice palliative care which will reduce the pressure to choose suicide that may be faced by the suffering, vulnerable, or dying among us," the letter states.