Manitoba has struck the right balance in its policies surrounding doctor assisted dying, according to the Minister of Health, Seniors and Active Living. 

Kelvin Goertzen says he met with the Executive Director of the Christian Medical and Dental Association, Larry Worthen, earlier this week as part of a series of meetings and conversations surrounding the topic of doctor assisted dying. Goertzen notes conversations with groups representing doctors and nurses, or individuals themselves, have complied concerns including conscientious objection.

Goertzen adds Worthen was asking questions about the Manitoba process and policy. 

"He was specifically asking questions about what the Manitoba process is, if someone is looking for an assisted dying procedure how involved are the doctors and the nurses and other medical professionals in that process. What rights do the doctors and nurses have to not participate in that process," says Goertzen. "So I told him what the Manitoba policy is, which has been supported by the College of Physicians and Surgeons and supported by other medical professionals and he was quite pleased with it."

He notes he thinks it's the right balance and is able to protect those who are concerned or have a conscientious objection.

"Whether that's religious or not. There are many medical professionals who do not want to be referring individuals to an assisted death, not for religious reasons, but simply because they don't believe that, that is part of what their medical training and profession is about."

Goertzen says he fully supports the doctors, nurses and other medical professionals who have a conscientious objection to being involved in doctor assisted dying. He notes the policy which was complied more than six months ago is able to protect those with objections.

"They don't have to do a referral to another doctor, but they provide information, they provide a phone number or a website where they can get further information, but the doctors don't do the actual referral. [This policy] was supported by the previous government, it's supported by me and it's supported by the doctors and other medical professionals. So, I think we've got the right situation in Manitoba."

He adds, after almost a year, he has yet to hear of a situation where a patient felt they were not able to have access to the doctor assisted dying process.