Canada Court Prevents Hospital From Killing Samuel Golubchuk in Euthanasia

Bioethics   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Feb 13, 2008   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Canada Court Prevents Hospital From Killing Samuel Golubchuk in Euthanasia Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 13,
2008

Winnipeg, Canada (LifeNews.com) — The family of Samuel Golubchuck won a victory on Wednesday when a court issued an injunction preventing Grace General Hospital in Winnipeg from removing Samuel Golubchuk’s life support and killing him. His family has been arguing with hospital officials who claim he is to far gone to receive proper medical care.

Grace Hospital will not be allowed to remove the respirator, dehydrate, or starve Golubchuck while the family presents more evidence at a trial.

Samuel Golubchuk is an elderly Jewish man who is on life support. His children are strongly opposed to removing him from a ventilator and feeding tube and have cited Jewish law which forbids such actions depriving people of their right to life.

The children also say that their father would oppose the stopping of lifesaving medical care if he could express his treatment wishes.

Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition told LifeNews.com he’s delighted by the news.

"We need to demand that Grace General Hospital not take this case further and agree to leave Samuel Golubchuk and his family alone, as they spend time with their father as he experiences the final part of his life," he said.

Schadenberg also challenged the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Manitoba on a statement the group issued giving doctors the sole power to end life sustaining treatment even when a person may regain consciousness and the family opposes the decision.

He told LifeNews.com the statement will "lead to cases, such as Terri Schiavo, where the person is not dying but is intentionally withheld fluids and food in order to cause their death. This would amount to euthanasia by omission on demand."

Related web sites:
Samuel Golubchuck – https://www.samuelgolubchuk.com
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition – https://www.euthanasiaprevention.on.ca