CMDA Launch Campaign For Compassion and Care

The Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA) of Canada have launched a campaign encouraging all levels of government to broaden access to quality care and resources for those in need of palliative care, mental health services, and support for people with disabilities in an effort to reduce or eliminate the need for the most vulnerable in our society to utilize Canada’s new medical assistance in dying laws.

The “No Options, No Choice” campaign is the association’s response to the federal government’s revised legislation that changed the eligibility criteria and procedural safeguards for medical assistance in dying (MAID) that came into effect in March of 2021. The new law permits Canadians who are not terminally ill but do have chronic illness or disability, or those solely suffering from mental illness, the option to seek medical assistance in dying.

“Vulnerable Canadians should be provided with meaningful options to live before they are provided with options to die,” said CMDA Executive Director Larry Worthen.

He continued, “Many vulnerable people living on the margins of society who are now eligible for MAID do not have access to the basic requirements needed to like including palliative care, essential medication, housing, and financial support. Without access to quality care their options become limited and without options, there are no choices.”

The campaign highlights the stories of several people currently dealing with health issues through a series of videos found on the campaign’s website and distributed through social media channels. These very personal stories demonstrate the struggle to gain access to proper care and are followed by short videos from leading physicians from across Canada offering their perspective of the current level of care offered to those most in need.

To view the videos and learn more, please visit www.nooptionsnochoice.com for complete details. 

The Christian Medical and Dental Association of Canada exists to engage, encourage, and equip Christian doctors and dentists to glorify God by integrating faith in practice. For more information about the association, please visit www.cmdacanada.org.