The Canadian government has announced it is seeking a pause on extending euthanasia to those suffering solely from severe mental illnesses because the system would not be able to cope with the numbers who might come forward.

Health Minister Mark Holland said Canada’s health system is still “not ready” for the euthanasia expansion. Over 13,000 Canadians died by euthanasia in 2022, up from 1,000 in 2016.

Conservative MP Michael Cooper called on the government to pause the expansion indefinitely. He pointed to testimony from psychiatrists who told a committee examining the subject that it would be difficult — if not impossible — for medical professionals to decide whether a mental illness is beyond treatment.