Since last November, the family of 84-year Samuel Golubchuck, an Orthodox Jew, has been battling with Canadian doctors over whether Golubchuck should be kept on life support. Doctors want to take him off of life support, but the family says this contradicts their religious beliefs that forbid the hastening of death. In February, a judge ruled that Golubchuck must be kept on life support in a Winnipeg hospital until the case goes to trial. (CTV, Feb. 13). Yesterday, according to CTV, doctors Bojan Paunovic and David Easton became the second and third to refuse continue to work in Grace Hospital's critical care unit in order to avoid what they consider the cruelty involved in keeping Golubchuk alive.
UPDATE: 84-year old Samuel Golubchuk died at Winnipeg's Grace Hospital on June 24, still on life support, before his case went to trial. (CTV.ca).
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Canadian Doctors At Odds With Jewish Family Over Continuing Life Support
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2 comments:
"...their beliefs strictly forbid the hastening of a death."
Removing artificial "life support" machines is not hastening a death -- it would simply allow a natural death to occur in its own time.
Under the stated beliefs of the Golubchuk family (which are not necessairily shared with other orthodox Jews), it's possible that all deaths can be denied to everyone because machines can "keep a body alive" artificially pretty much as long as there's power to run them.
However, in a world where money can buy you pretty much anything you want, why does the family not have Samuel placed in a private care facility, where they would be able to call all the medical shots, and clear the public space for others who need the care for which they cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket?
Heck, $50K - a few weeks on life support - would buy perpetual placement in a cryogenic preservation facility. God would be satisfied, Sam won't care, and everyone else could save a bundle.
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