Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she will be getting a second medical opinion in regard to a woman suing Alberta Health Services (AHS) for denying her life-saving organ transplant due to her COVID-19 vaccination status..The woman recently lost her appeal for a second time..On Tuesday, during a press conference, Smith told reporters she will be seeking a second opinion on the decision.."I am seeking a second opinion on that particular case and I know that there is at least one other case as well," Smith said.."So as soon I have a result from them, but on the general issue, I've been pretty clear that we do not want to see discrimination against anybody on the basis of their booster status or their vaccination status. And I'm hopeful the business community and other entities operating this province separate that message loud and clear, and we'll make sure to bring their policies into alignment with what that objective is because I feel like it is very time sensitive.".The Alberta Court of Appeal upheld the earlier lower court ruling that removed Sheila Annette Lewis from the waitlist for an organ transplant due to her refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine..READ MORE: Unvaxxed Alberta woman's appeal to receive life-saving transplant again denied.The 57-year-old grandmother requires an organ transplant after being diagnosed with a terminal disease in 2018. She was told she would not survive unless she received the procedure, but needed to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 to qualify..The doctors she's suing are a team of specialists who would oversee Lewis' transplant at an Alberta hospital, also listed in the lawsuit. Due to a publication ban, the name of the hospital, doctors, or the organ listed as in need of transplant cannot be mentioned..The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) is representing Lewis and said it is disappointed the Alberta Court of Appeal had decided the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms does not apply in Lewis' situation..“We are deeply disappointed with today’s decision,” said Allison Pejovic, JCCF legal counsel for Ms. Lewis.."The difficulty with transplant patients is they do have a protocol they go through to determine who has the best likelihood of survivability and so then I want to have a second medical opinion," Smith said.."I don't want to supersede them. So I'm very hopeful that we'll be able to get an opinion in the matter."
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she will be getting a second medical opinion in regard to a woman suing Alberta Health Services (AHS) for denying her life-saving organ transplant due to her COVID-19 vaccination status..The woman recently lost her appeal for a second time..On Tuesday, during a press conference, Smith told reporters she will be seeking a second opinion on the decision.."I am seeking a second opinion on that particular case and I know that there is at least one other case as well," Smith said.."So as soon I have a result from them, but on the general issue, I've been pretty clear that we do not want to see discrimination against anybody on the basis of their booster status or their vaccination status. And I'm hopeful the business community and other entities operating this province separate that message loud and clear, and we'll make sure to bring their policies into alignment with what that objective is because I feel like it is very time sensitive.".The Alberta Court of Appeal upheld the earlier lower court ruling that removed Sheila Annette Lewis from the waitlist for an organ transplant due to her refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine..READ MORE: Unvaxxed Alberta woman's appeal to receive life-saving transplant again denied.The 57-year-old grandmother requires an organ transplant after being diagnosed with a terminal disease in 2018. She was told she would not survive unless she received the procedure, but needed to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 to qualify..The doctors she's suing are a team of specialists who would oversee Lewis' transplant at an Alberta hospital, also listed in the lawsuit. Due to a publication ban, the name of the hospital, doctors, or the organ listed as in need of transplant cannot be mentioned..The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) is representing Lewis and said it is disappointed the Alberta Court of Appeal had decided the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms does not apply in Lewis' situation..“We are deeply disappointed with today’s decision,” said Allison Pejovic, JCCF legal counsel for Ms. Lewis.."The difficulty with transplant patients is they do have a protocol they go through to determine who has the best likelihood of survivability and so then I want to have a second medical opinion," Smith said.."I don't want to supersede them. So I'm very hopeful that we'll be able to get an opinion in the matter."
