St. Boniface Hospital and Concordia Hospital are faith-based institutions that will not offer physician-assisted deaths in Winnipeg.
"This is consistent with the fact we are a faith-based institution," said Helene Vrignon, director of communications at St. Boniface Hospital.
Vrignon said when the federal government created laws on doctor assisted death, the hospital had numerous conversations with sponsors and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.
She said the hospital will continue to work with patients and provide the appropriate contact for them. If patients want to proceed, she explained, St. Boniface will transfer them to another appropriate facility.
Last week Concordia Hospital stated as a Mennonite faith-based organization they oppose the practice of assisted dying and will not offer the service there or at Concordia Place, a personal care home.
"We are committed to providing respect and dignity in care to every person throughout his or her life from conception to natural death," the statement said.
Garry Falke's dad lives at Concordia Place. At 91, he's in good health.
Falke thinks if his dad decided to someday choose a medically-assisted death, he should be able to get the service here.
"If the procedure is made available to the public, it should be made available at all the facilities," said Falke Monday.
"No dignity, no quality of life, I don't think it should be the higher-ups making those choices for you. It should be your own personal choice," said Falke's wife Darlene.
Concordia said it's committed to supporting patients and residents and their loved ones in a compassionate manner.
The province said allowing faith-based institutions to opt out is appropriate.
"It's about a balance and we will respect that balance. While looking at the court discussions. I think the court talked about accessibility for the procedure, not universal accessibility, and so we will proceed on that basis and protect the right of facilities not to participate in MAID,” said Minister Kelvin Goertzen after the throne speech Monday.
The legal ban on physician-assisted dying expired in Canada on June 6.
The WRHA said it's arranged to accommodate patients who want a medically-assisted death at a faith-based facility. It means patients could be transferred to access the service.
"While the region has committed to faith-based facilities that it will not impose the practice of MAID [Medical Assistance in Dying] upon those who believe it contravenes their faith, the Provincial MAID Clinical Team provides access to these services to any person who would qualify,” WRHA said in a statement.
"The region has arranged for other facilities to accommodate any patient who is eligible for the service of MAID who either lives in, or is being treated in, a faith-based facility.”
"It seems profoundly dubious that the religious affiliation of the hospital and of its top administrators and board should be able to prohibit patients from getting a medially mandated legal service," said Arthur Schafer, founding director of the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics at the University of Manitoba.
The Catholic Health Corporation of Manitoba said a faith-based agreement was signed in September 1994 by the province and nine faith groups.
It said Manitoba Health recognizes the wish of each facility to provide health services in the spirit of its missions, values and ethical traditions.
