Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Samuel Golubchuk dies on June 24

On Tuesday, June 24, Samuel Golubchuk died a peaceful and natural death.

The death of Samuel Golubchuk needs to be remembered by the courage that his children Miriam and Percy had in defending his wishes and his faith.

Very few parents can say that their children would go this far to protect them.

The link to the Winnipeg Free Press Article:
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/story/4190883p-4781717c.html

We still need to pressure the Manitoba College of Physicians and Surgeons to amend their Statement on Withholding and Withdrawing Life-Sustaining Treatment.

Judge Schulman stated in his decision to grant a temporary injunction from removing life-sustaining treatment from Golubchuk that the issue of "who decides" when removing life-sustaining treatment is not settled in law.

Jocelyn Downie stated on June 9th to a conference in Winnipeg Manitoba that doctors do not have the right to remove life-sustaining treatment against the wishes of the patient.

Downie stated that there is no legal precedent in Canada that gives doctors the authority to remove a feeding tube or issue do not resuscitate orders against a patient’s wishes.
http://alexschadenberg.blogspot.com/2008/06/manitoba-doctors-do-not-have-right-to.html

The Manitoba College believe that physicians have the right to decide when to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment.

This needs to change.

Link to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba Statement on Withholding and Withdrawing Life-Sustaining Treatment.
http://www.cpsm.mb.ca/statements/1602.pdf

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this report. It is good inded that Mr. Golubchuk's children wanted to protect him in his last days, from a cruel and arbitrary state, and medical doctors who have taken an oath to preserve life! My own dear mother was fortunate to be able to live at home until a fews days before her death at 85, with support from Family (my children and myself) and the wonderful VON nurses, with a little help from homecare, despite efforts made by a social worker to push us into moving her into a nursing home! But I worry about the path our society is going down, and others who do not have family to fight for them. Thank you for all your good work!