Twelve faith-based health facilities in Saskatoon are opting out of the city health region’s new policy on doctor-assisted dying.
The region’s board passed the policy, which provides guidelines on medically assisted dying and on how facilities should handle patient requests, Wednesday in response to the federal government’s recent legislation.
The policy is inclusive but allows faith-based facilities, such as St. Paul’s Hospital, to object to the practice.
“One of the… challenges of getting this policy together is to accommodate and find a balance between individual rights that are constitutionally engrained (and) the health regions wanting to provide that service, meanwhile being respectful of both individual and institutional conscientious objections,” Evert Van Olst, a lawyer with the health region, said.
“I think the policy for now — and we are going to have it in place for a year and then re-evaluate it — strikes a good balance.”
Patients requesting doctor-assisted dying in the 12 faith-based facilities who are objecting to the policy would be relocated to another facility.
The objecting facilities, outside of St. Paul’s Hospital, include Bethany Pioneer Village, Central Haven Special Care Home, Circle Drive Special Care Home, Dalmeny Spruce Manor, Special Care Home, Oliver Lodge, Rosthern Mennonite Nursing Home, Samaritan Place, Sherbrooke Community Centre, St. Ann’s Home, St. Joseph’s Home and Warman Mennonite Special Care Home.
The Saskatoon Health Region provides service to 74 facilities, including nine hospitals and 33 long-term care facilities.
