Dr Paul Saba: Euthanasia of those with mental disorders is not mercy.

Presentation at the EPC Press Conference on October 7 in support of Bill C-218

Dr Paul Saba

My name is Dr Paul Saba. I am a family physician in Lachine Quebec.

One of my patients—a young mother of three small children was trapped in an abusive relationship. In despair, she attempted suicide by hanging. Found just in time by an neighbour, her life was saved. Had she been euthanized, there would have been no second chances. Today, she’s grateful to be alive, having had another child, and is now a grandmother to four grandchildren. 

Her story is a reminder that the darkest moments can give way to new beginnings—if we give people the chance to get better.

From a legal perspective, people with mental disorders who request  “Medical Aid in Dying (MAID)” a euphemism in Canada for euthanasia or assisted suicide, do not meet the criteria for free and informed consent, as the desire to die is often a symptom of mental illness. 

A Harvard School of Public Health study found that nine out of ten people who attempted suicide but survived did not die by suicide after receiving treatment. With proper care, the desire for suicide often disappears.  

Ninety percent of people who die by suicide have a mental disorder at the time they end their lives. Most who attempt or complete suicide do not truly want to die—they want an escape their emotional distress. 

I have spent my life caring for people at their lowest—facing distress, despair, disease and deprivation. What I’ve learned is that every life is valuable and worth fighting for. True compassion means supporting people through their dark times, not ending their lives.  

When someone turns to their physician in crisis, the doctor’s duty is to help them find a way out, not to offer death as a solution. A physician must stand with their patient and offer them treatment and help them find hope.  

People with mental disorders need proper care and support from psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers. Many live precarious financial or social situations and need help with housing and food security. Our social and healthcare systems have failed them. 

Instead of expanding access to death, Canada must build a robust healthcare system that invests in world-class palliative care, mental health services, and social supports for people to live healthier and with dignity.  

Euthanasia of those with mental disorders is not mercy. It is murder masquerading as compassion. It is important that Members of Parliament support Bill C218 and stop the expansion of euthanasia to those with mental disorders.