Family believes relative being prematurely pulled off life support to make room for COVID-19 patients

The family of a man on life-support in an Ottawa hospital is claiming that his life is being ended too soon in an attempt to clear space for beds for future COVID-19 patients.

According to CTV News, Souheil Tabbara, 74, was diagnosed with COVID-19 in January and has been on a ventilator since February. His condition quickly declined, and, according to his daughter Nadine, "He cannot move and he cannot speak, but he can make eye contact." Given the fact that Tabbara still has brain function, his family is questioning the hospital's hurry to turn off his life support.

CTV News reported that the Ottawa hospital "declined to comment on the specific case, but said the pandemic has not impacted access to critical care, or palliative care." In a statement, the hospital said that it "supports the work of the Consent and Capacity Board to resolve rare complex situations between patients, their representatives and physicians through a third party.

The Tabbaras are not so sure. They claim that the hospital is "preparing for a surge in numbers" by making room for more intensive care beds.

They also decry the hospital's apparent disregard for Tabbara's religious beliefs. According to Islam, it is a violation to remove life support while there is still brain function. "This is a violation of his human rights", Nadine said.

The Tabbaras expect that a verdict will be made in the following days.