In Ontario, Canada, a 77 year-old female with osteoarthritis [1] has been authorised to “receive medical assistance to end her life”. Diagnosed at the age of 43, she started intense treatment but, unable to tolerate any more suffering, she asked her doctor if she could die. One of the two doctors she approached for approval withdrew from the discussion and refused to give permission. Despite assisted suicide legislation, he was afraid of being convicted for murder as the patient had not reached the terminal stage of the disease.
The Superior Court of Justice stated that, on this occasion, medically assisted suicide could be authorised if death “was reasonably foreseeable” and the patient’s remaining years would be blighted by suffering.
The doctors informed the Court that they felt “ill at ease” administering lethal products.
[1] Osteoarthritis or OA, also known as arthrosis, is the most common form of arthritis. It affects 10% of the Canadian population.
Daily Mail, Mia de Graaf (27/06/2017)