An Ontario woman has died of liver disease after doctors denied her a life-saving liver transplant because she failed to abstain from the alcohol that made her sick in the first place.

The case cuts to the heart of a perennial issue in Canadian legal bioethics — whether and how personal behaviour should affect a person’s eligibility for specialized medical care.

Alcoholic liver disease may be the only place in health care where a patient’s culpability actually determines the kind of care they receive{ai:summary}<p>An Ontario woman died from liver disease after being denied a transplant, as doctors cited her inability to abstain from alcohol. This case raises ongoing ethical debates in Canada about how personal behavior influences access to medical treatment. </p><p>#health</p>

Woman, 36, dies after she was denied liver transplant over alcohol use. Should health-care be conditional?

Loading...