A Canadian woman, 51, suffering from breast cancer was offered suicide
("euthanasia") as she was about to enter the operating theatre to
undergo a mastectomy.
According to Telegraph.co.uk (14 October), the surgeon who was to perform the operation went through all the risks with her.
At
the end, he asked her if she knew about Medical Assistance in Dying
(MAID), but the patient refused to talk about it: "I was scared, I was
alone, I was cold and I didn't know what to expect."
Her question: "Why was I asked about euthanasia when I was about to undergo an operation that I really believe saved my life?"
In total, she was "suggested to commit suicide three times, once more in the recovery room after the operation".
"I felt like a problem to be got rid of rather than a patient in need of treatment".
She
waited a year for an appointment at a clinic specialising in pain
management: "But if I called the Medical Assistance in Dying helpline
this morning, I'd be talking to a doctor tomorrow afternoon."
Canada has a palliative care shortage. There are only just over half the beds needed.
Assisted
suicide, which was legalised in Canada in 2016, is now the fifth
leading cause of death in the country. Only the Netherlands has a higher
mortality rate.
Picture: MAID, #newsGhbxlwsyuq