Media: Canadian clinics offer elderly patients euthanasia instead of treatment

Illustrative image of an elderly patient in a hospital. Photo: Shutterstock

In Canada, elderly patients are increasingly being offered euthanasia instead of comprehensive medical treatment, including in cases where they are not suffering from terminal illnesses, according to LifeSiteNews.

The outlet reports that 84-year-old Catholic Miriam Lancaster said that when she was admitted to Vancouver General Hospital, a doctor immediately offered her “medical assistance in dying” (MAiD), even though her condition was not critical. She refused, stressing that she had come for treatment, not to be offered an end to her life.

According to Lancaster, a similar incident took place three years earlier with her husband, who was also offered euthanasia at the same hospital. Both refused, guided by their religious convictions.

Lancaster was later transferred to another clinic, where doctors diagnosed a small spinal fracture and provided the care she needed. After treatment, her condition improved, and she was able to return home.

As LifeSiteNews notes, such cases have become more frequent since euthanasia was legalized in Canada in 2016, prompting criticism amid concerns that patients are increasingly being offered an accelerated death instead of medical support.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the number of euthanasia deaths in Canada had reached 100,000.

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