WINCHESTER – The board overseeing Winchester District Memorial Hospital has given its approval for the facility to offer doctor-assisted suicide.
“This decision is the result of a lengthy process that began with the change in Canadian law last June, followed by planning involving physicians, staff, patients, families, our Ethics Committee and legal counsel,” said board chairwoman Marieke vanNoppen.
The board approved the measure on Tuesday (Nov. 22).
VanNoppen added that doctors can choose not to be involved in the process “and that choice will be respected.”
The hospital believes the request for the procedure will be “minimal”.
The hospital board said it has put all the legal safeguards in place for physician-assisted suicide, also known as Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID).