[wagglebee]

The New York Slimes believes that it's "fear mongering" to warn about death panels, but then they proceed to push rationing.

Thread by me.

Wesley J. Smith: NYT Editorial Condemns Rationing Fear Mongers–Pushes Rationing

Well, I couldn’t get away to Wyoming without casting a little light on a revealing NYT.  On one hand, it castigates critics of Donald Berwick–for, among other things, accusing him of promoting rationing for the USA.  It’s all fear mongering, don’t you know.  But, we need rationing!  From the editorial:

Republicans are also eagerly, and shamefully, pillorying Dr. Donald Berwick, the new head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. There are few figures who command greater respect for uniting health professionals and institutions to improve the quality of medical care while reducing costs. That is not stopping these critics from implying — baselessly — that he will introduce socialized medicine and death panels in this country.

The truth is that Dr. Berwick has praised the socialized British health care system, especially for its emphasis on primary care. This country certainly needs to do more to develop its primary care system. And he has, rightly, called for an open discussion of the health care rationing that is already widespread in our system. When insurers decline to cover procedures, or high prices screen out low-income people, that is rationing.

Dr. Berwick has endorsed the use of “comparative effectiveness” research to determine which treatments work best. He would use such research to judge whether a new drug or procedure is worth the cost of coverage, a step the reform law shies away from. He does not have the power to change that law. But the issue will have to be addressed at some point if there is to be any hope of restraining medical spending.

How dare those anti-rationers pillory a rationing advocate who understands we need rationing! Hilarious.

[wagglebee]

Thanks to the vigilance of Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition and all of the people who sent emails and made phone calls, it looks like the Canadian death panels will spare Joshua Kulendran Mayandy.

Multiple threads by EternalVigilance and me.

Dying of Thirst: Joshua (Kulendran Mayandi)

On Friday, August 20, I published a blog post about Joshua (Kulendran Mayandi), a 48 year old pastor of a small pentecostal Church in Brampton who had a heart attack on May 29. Joshua is at the Brampton Civic Hospital (William Osler Health Centre) where his IV fluids, food and medication have been removed since Tuesday, August 17.

Link to my August 20 blog comment: Brampton Civic Hospital imposes euthanasia by dehydration through pressure tactics: http://alexschadenberg.blogspot.com/2010/08/brampton-civic-hospital-imposes.html

Joshua was first in coma. He then came out of coma and has recovered a little from his cognitively disability.

He has the ability to recognize his closest friends and respond with one-word answers and sometimes with multi-word responses. He is able to move his body and appears to be physiologically stable.

Joshua is not otherwise dying. There is no indication that Joshua will experience a heart attack again. Other than the fact that Joshua is cognitively disabled he is otherwise healthy and could possibly live many years in this condition.

I have received an incredible number of emails supporting Joshua. Thank you to everyone who sent an email or a letter.

I have also received several emails questioning my point of view, especially in relation to the use of assisted techniques to provide hydration (fluid) and nutrition (food).

Therefore I will clarify my position.

Euthanasia is an action or omission of an action which of itself and by intention causes the death of a person for the reason of suffering.

In other words, to directly and intentionally cause the death of a person by action or omission, whereby the death is the result of the action or omission, is euthanasia, when the intention is to relieve suffering.

It is not euthanasia to withhold or withdraw medical treatment, especially when it is burdensome, extra-ordinary, disproportionate, etc.

 

Joshua is not otherwise dying. The intention is to directly cause his death by dehydration. If the SDM or the hospital do not provide hydration or nutrition, Joshua will intentionally die from dehydration.

Even if the law fails to recognize it, this is a form of euthanasia because death is directly and intentionally caused by dehydration and not by his medical condition.

In this case, Joshua may be capable of effectively eating and drinking by mouth, but due to the traecheotomy, he is currently unable to be fed or hydrated effectively without medical assistance.

Joseph has been breathing for a long period of time without medical assistance, why has the traech not been plugged? ...

 

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Still Dying of Thirst: Joshua (Kulendran Mayandi)

After a long discussion with our legal counsel concerning the possible legal avenues that could be taken to stop the dehydration of Joshua (Kulendran Mayandi) the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition has determined that a legal action is possible.

For those who have not followed the story of Joshua, he is a pastor of a small pentecostal church in Brampton Ontario who is currently in the Brampton Civic Hospital (William Osler Health Centre) where IV fluids, nutrition and medicine has been completely withdrawn since August 17.

Links to the story:
http://alexschadenberg.blogspot.com/2010/08/joshua-kulendran-mayandi-case-continues.html

http://alexschadenberg.blogspot.com/2010/08/brampton-civic-hospital-imposes.html

The problem is that the cost of a legal intervention, which may or may not be successful, is significant and the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition needs to know if we will have the financial support of our donors and members to go ahead with this endeavour?

Our original goal was to convince the court appointed Substitute Decision Maker (SDM) to change his mind and have the IV re-inserted.

Time is running out. If action is not taken soon, Joshua will begin to die.

You need to know that Joshua was a loved pastor. The members of the Church have been with him constantly...

 

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Hospital withholds food, water from Christian pastor [Canadian death panel is killing him]

It's been more than a week since pastor Joshua Kulendran Mayandy has been given food or water at a Brampton, Canada, hospital where he is being treated for a brain impairment following a heart attack.

The medical facility's officials are following a determination that he will get his next sustenance only when he can ask the doctor for it.

The Sri Lankan Mayandy, who arrived in Canada 10 years ago to pastor a small church, complained of chest pain and was hospitalized after collapsing with a heart attack May 29.

He was revived successfully, although the apparent brain damage from the attack left him in a coma for a time. He was placed in intensive care where he regained consciousness. An eyewitness has reported he has regained movement in his arms and legs and that he recognizes the family he is living with.

According to Bernard Stephenson, another local pastor and friend who visits Mayandy daily, the injured man can speak some words.

But staff with Brampton Civic Hospital, which is part of the William Osler Health Center, disagree. According to Stephenson, doctors asserted all along that there was no hope of recovery.

The disagreement over his condition and capacity triggered in Ontario the involvement of the region's "Consent and Capacity" board, which by law determines the proper medical treatment for patients unable to make decisions themselves...

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Pastor centre of pro-life battle

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) has launched a letter-writing campaign in a bid to stop what it says is the unjust treatment of a disabled patient at Brampton Civic Hospital.

EPC is urging residents to file letters en masse after the Consent and Capacity Board, an independent provincial tribunal whose mandate, in part, is to determine a person’s capacity to consent to or refuse medical treatment, gave a public guardian power of attorney over Kulendran (Joshua) Mayandy, a 48-year-old pastor who acquired a cognitive disability after suffering a heart attack in May.

Doctors have determined there is no hope of recovery and suggested all life-sustaining treatment be removed. But without family members or appointed legal guardian in Canada, the Consent and Capacity Board placed the fate of the Sri Lankan native, a Pentecostal pastor at Humberlea Worship Centre in Etobicoke, in the hands of a Substitute Decision Maker (SDM).

This SDM, in turn, agreed with authorities that no special efforts should be made to prolong Mayandy’s life and on Aug. 17 gave doctors at Brampton the go-ahead to withdraw intravenous hydration and nutrition to speed up his death.

However, EPC members have condemned the decision on the basis that it contradicts Mayandy’s Christian beliefs. Christians are generally opposed to the idea of interfering with the natural process of death. “Other than the fact that Joshua is cognitively disabled, he is otherwise healthy and could possibly live many years in this condition,” states Alex Schadenberg, executive director of EPC-Canada. “This is not a case when hydration and nutrition need to be withdrawn because he is actually dying and nearing death, but rather the decision appears to have been made to intentionally cause his death by withdrawing IV hydration and nutrition because he is unlikely to recover from his disability.”

“Society cannot condone intentionally dehydrating a person to death because of their disability or the potential cost of long-term care,” he said. Hospital officials have refrained from offering up specific details on the matter, stating patient confidentially limits them on what they can disclose publicly.

However, William Osler Health System, which runs Brampton Civic Hospital stressed everyone “involved in the patient’s care is in agreement with his treatment plan.”

“The treatment plan being followed for him has been determined to be medically in the best interests of Pastor Mayandy,” reads a statement prepared by William Osler on the matter. “It was developed according to Ontario law and with the input and oversight of the patient’s Substitute Decision Maker and their lawyer, as well as the patient’s independent lawyer. The course of care is clearly described in an Order of the Ontario government’s Consent and Capacity Board.”

Mayandy’s family, who live in Sri Lanka, and his supporters here, reject that notion, Schadenberg said. “The fact that Joshua did not write down his personal wishes or assign a person to make legal and health care decisions on his behalf in these circumstances, does not negate the fact based on his religious convictions it is unlikely that he would have agreed to death by dehydration,” writes Schadenberg in a blog post at http://alexschadenberg.blogspot.com.

The EPC says Mayandy, who has been living with a Brampton family for the last 10 years, was admitted to Brampton Civic after collapsing in front of the emergency department on May 29.

He was revived, but sustained a significant brain injury and fell into a coma.

He was placed in the intensive care unit (ICU) and remained there until regaining the ability to breathe on his own, at which time he was transferred to the respiratory ward— where he still remains, according to EPC.

The group says Mayandy emerged from the coma and regained some ability to communicate...

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Update email from Alex Schadenberg:

Thank you to everyone who has done something to help Pastor Joshua (Kulendran Mayandy). If you have not followed the story closely, the article that was printed in the Brampton Guardian is included with this email.

After meetings yesteday with our legal counsel, several doctors and a lawyer from the Christian Legal Fellowship, a major breakthrough happened today. The court appointed Substitute Decision Maker (SDM) has given permission for a nurse, who is a member of the Church, to feed Joshua orally.

Today Joshua was fed orally and I was told it went very well.

We thank the SDM for this wise decision but we remain cautious. This is incredible news but we recognize that an opposite decision may be made at any time.

The decision on August 13, 2010 by the Consent and Capacity Board stated:

"If the attending physician determines that his condition sufficiently improves to the point that aggressive care becomes appropriate, and proposes such treatments, nothing precludes (the SDM) from consenting to same."

Now that Joshua has proven that he is capable of swallowing while being orally fed, how can anyone deny him this basic necessity of life?

The final hope is that Joshua will get the opportunity to recover.

"We will not be silent.
We are your bad conscience.
The White Rose will give you no rest."