Dutch Legislator Wants Doctors to be Able to Deny Surgeries to Elderly Patients

Elderly Patient1

(LifeSiteNews) — A Dutch environmentalist legislator has suggested restricting surgeries for patients older than age 70 by allowing hospital geriatricians to decide whether or not to operate and continue to provide treatment.

Corinne Ellemeet of Groenlinks (the Green Left) made the proposal in February and recently presented it in the Lower Chamber of the Netherlands.

In technically advanced countries, 70 is not exactly equivalent to “old age.” In the Netherlands, people born after 1955 will only receive a state pension when they are 67 years and 3 months old. This limit is expected to rise to 70 as the population ages. Life expectancy is slightly above 81. CONTINUE