“Voluntary donor” after euthanasia: how Canada changes the rules of the game

Canada Enters a dangerous territory: euthanasia turns into a channel for the donation of organs.

As reported National PostFor the first time in the world, the heart of a 38-year-old patient with side amyotrophic sclerosis (Lud Gerig disease), who underwent euthanasia, was successfully transplanted by a 59-year-old American with severe heart failure.

According to data Medical Center of Pittsburgh University And Ottawa hospitalspublication in Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation Fixes “the first successful case of heart transplantation after Maid” (medical care). The patient’s death was stated seven minutes after the start of the Maid protocol, after which the heart was removed and connected to the apparatus, the “reanimating” organ before the transplant.

Such a practice is no exception. Canada has already become a world leader According to the donation of organs after euthanasia: in addition to hearts, the liver, kidneys and light are transplanted. According to official figures, since 2016, at least 155 people in the country donated their organs and tissues after the Maid procedure.

However, specialists in bioetics warn: The removal of organs in patients undergoing euthanasia can create dangerous pressure. People who feel like a burden for the family can choose death in order to become donors, even if they doubt or change the decision. Information about the possibility of sacrificing bodies can turn into a form of public pressure in favor of euthanasia and donation.

Critics note that in some cases Canadians resort to Maid due to poverty, lack of access to adequate medical care or social support. Therefore, “those who evaluate and carry out procedures must be on the alert” in order to prevent euthanasia under hidden forcing or a motive for donation.

Combination Maid And transplantology raises questions not only of ethics, but also of future medicine: where is the border between help and operation?

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