60,301 MAID Deaths Since 2016:Angelina Ireland Questions Canada’s Euthanasia Data
In a compelling interview on The HighWire, Angelina Ireland, president of the Delta Hospice Society, raised serious concerns about Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program, alleging a lack of transparency in reporting euthanasia deaths.
Ireland highlighted a stark contrast: while Canadians face years-long waitlists for surgeries and struggle to find family doctors, MAID teams are dispatched to homes with remarkable speed, sometimes within hours for those on the program’s Track 1.
Ireland disputes official figures, specifically Health Canada’s 2023 report of 15,343 MAID deaths, representing 4.7% of all deaths, totaling 60,301 since 2016. She stated, “I don’t believe those numbers,” suggesting the true scale could be significantly higher.
Her reasoning centers on death certificates, which often cite underlying conditions like cancer or diabetes rather than MAID as the cause of death. Additionally, she accused provincial governments of obscuring MAID data, only releasing sanitized figures through federal reports.
Speaking across Canada, Ireland observes a consistent pattern: nearly every audience member knows someone affected by MAID. In a population of 40 million, she argues, the reported numbers seem implausible, implying closer to two degrees of separation.
Reports of MAID approvals for non-terminal cases, such as depression or chemical sensitivities, have fueled criticism from disability advocates and UN human rights experts, who question the program’s oversight.
Ireland’s allegations point to a need for greater scrutiny. Are euthanasia deaths being underreported while healthcare access falters?
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