Lack of Quality Medical Care Turns Patients to Seek Other Options

Canada’s euthanasia law which passed on June 17, 2016 will cause may Canadians to die needlessly who have many good years to live and lack quality medical care. According to Dr. Paul Saba, a family physician in Montreal: “Canadians deserve quality medical care at all times of their lives. This includes having access to a family physician, early screening and detection of illnesses, and the latest treatments and cures.

Current Problems With the Healthcare System

Many Canadians wait a long time for: physicians, specialists, screening, testing and treatments. Canadians’ access to specialist and primary care is the lowest among 11 comparable countries. Canada’s Parliament has chosen to focus on providing lethal injections rather than providing quality health care for its citizens. This is inexcusable and contrary to our laws and values. A recent Angus Reid poll shows that Canadians want good health care and not euthanasia as the solution for the lack of access to medical care.”

The Canadian federal government has severely reduced health care cost sharing with the provinces. Presently Canada contributes only 20 cents for each health care dollar compared to 50 cents during the early years of Medicare.

On June 1 before Parliament Hill, Dr. Saba called on Prime Minister Trudeau and Parliamentarians to promote better health care and save lives and to reject euthanasia and assisted suicide because “it is dangerous.”

5 Key Problems Related to Euthanasia in the Current Health System

In his brief to the Canadian Parliament Dr. Saba highlighted:

1. Errors in medical diagnosis (up to 20% of cases).

2. Errors in predicting who is at the end of life (up to 50% for chronic illnesses).

3. Dangers of elder abuse.

4. Associated depression with a serious diagnosis and inability to make a free and informed decision to end one’s life because of feelings of hopelessness.

5.  Inability to establish workable safeguards in countries where euthanasia is legal.

For example: in Belgium, 32% of euthanasia deaths are performed without specific request or consent; and, 47% of cases go unreported.

 

He called on the Canadian Parliament to set up a Royal Commission on Health Care and invest in nationally funded programmes for Cancer, Pediatric, Family, Pharma, Home, and Palliative Care.

“Parliament has failed in its responsibility to protect the public by legislating for euthanasia and assisted suicide rather than for quality health care,” – Dr. Saba.

 

Attorneys Dominique Talarico and Natalia Manole, who represent Dr. Saba in his legal challenge against euthanasia, state,
“In the absence of appropriate medical services, it is impossible to give a free and informed consent to receive physician-assisted suicide.  By not having access to quality and rapidly accessible health care, a person may end his or her life prematurely.”