Home / Health / 94-Year-Old Denied MAID Halts Treatment
94-Year-Old Denied MAID Halts Treatment
1 Jun
Summary
- Woman, 94, stopped vital medications after MAID request denied.
- Doctors cited chronic conditions as barrier to MAID eligibility.
- Pro-choice group urges Manitoba to repeal MAID protection law.
A 94-year-old woman, Marion Penner, has ceased taking essential heart medication and antibiotics at her Steinbach, Manitoba, hospital bed. This drastic action follows her earlier denial of medical assistance in dying (MAID) earlier this year. Her family had previously agreed to MAID, but encountered multiple physician refusals and difficulties accessing information.
Penner's chronic, rather than imminent, health conditions necessitate input from specialists under MAID's 'track two' federal law. Her daughter expressed that accessing these specialists proved challenging, with Shared Health indicating it would be difficult. This situation has drawn criticism from the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC).
ARCC's executive director, Joyce Arthur, called the situation a "mark of cruelty," urging Manitoba to repeal the 2017 Medical Assistance in Dying (Protection for Health Professionals and Others) Act. A statement from Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara's office affirmed the act remains in force, asserting Manitobans can still access MAID information through Shared Health.
Recent reports indicate Manitoba denies assisted dying at five times the national rate, with fewer MAID uses for chronic illnesses than other provinces. The province has limited MAID assessors, especially outside Winnipeg. Penner has been moved to Vita Hospital, 55 kilometres from her home, and faces an 18-month wait for a care bed.
