Originally published in Conscience Laws, June 2014 Presentation to the Life Dinner Melbourne, Australia by David van Gend I feel a little out of place coming from Queensland to speak about the wretched situation in Victoria: coming from a State where it is always sunny, where the people are always nice, and where we don’t have oppressive laws that try to compel the conscience of free citizens. But we are all …Read More
Originally published in New Zealand Doctor, February 2018 by Rosalie Evans I agree that all doctors should read the End of Life Choice Bill. However, unlike Dr Havill et al, I do not believe it is inevitable that this bill will become law, writes GP Rosalie Evans. Dr Havill et al “cherry-picked” a few submissions to the health select committee which promoted a change in the law, as evidence for their viewpoint Far more jurisdictions have rejected moves to legalise euthanasia …Read More
Originally published in The New York Times, February 2018 by Rich Joseph Boston — The 96-year-old patient with pneumonia in Bed 11 was angry. “Do you really need to check my vital signs every four hours?” he asked. Checking things like temperature, blood pressure and respiratory rate every four hours on hospitalized patients has been the standard of care since the 1890s, yet scant data indicates that it helps. In …Read More
Originally published in The New York Times, February 2018 by Richard Sandomir Dr. Arnold Gold, a pediatric neurologist whose belief in the importance of an empathetic bedside manner led him and his wife to create a foundation to inspire young doctors to practice compassionate patient care, died on Jan. 23 in Manhattan. He was 92. His wife, Sandra Gold, confirmed his death. “You’re only half a physician if you’re just …Read More
Originally published in Nursing Review, February 2018 by Taumihau Teremoana The outcome of last year’s government inquiry into assisted dying left me both hopeful and disappointed that as a society we have not addressed alleviating suffering effectively. The inquiry’s decision not to recommend law changes allowing legalised assisted dying was welcomed by Palliative Care Nurses New Zealand and Hospice NZ. Though the concept of suffering is complex much can be said from …Read More
Originally published by New Zealand Herald, March 2017 by Dr Ron Jones Most individuals have strongly held views either for or against the proposed euthanasia legislation. My own views are those of a retired, perhaps somewhat cynical, doctor who has spent most of his professional life caring for women with gynaecological cancer. During this time I was never asked to deliberately end the life of one of them; my wife died …Read More
Originally published in StatNews, January 2018 by Dr Ira Byock Centuries from now, one of the things our era will be known for is the plague of dying badly. A growing number of physicians believe that one solution is helping their dying patients choose to end their lives. I disagree. I’m proud of being a physician and a lifelong political progressive. I ardently believe in human rights. But there are …Read More
Originally published in HOPE: Preventing Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide A survey of Canadian doctors reveals that the support of medical professionals for assisted suicide drops significantly once the process becomes legal, with most physicians now refusing to participate in the administration of lethal drugs to their patients. According to the December 2017 edition of Magazine Le Spécialiste which details the survey, the objections from physicians “were far more frequent than …Read More
Originally published by Huffpost, January 2018 by Dr Will Johnston Canadians who are sick and suicidal can now be put to death under various medicalized and government-approved protocols, following court and legislative victories by euthanasia activists. These activists are now turning their considerable talents to a coercive makeover of the palliative hospice movement by demanding that hospices founded on a promise to never deliberately hasten death should provide a death-hastening service. …Read More
Originally published by First Things, February 1996 by Dr Leon Kass Recent efforts to legalize physician-assisted suicide and to establish a constitutional “right to die” are deeply troubling events, morally dubious in themselves, extremely dangerous in their likely consequences. The legalization of physician-assisted suicide, ostensibly a measure enhancing the freedom of dying patients, is in fact a deadly license for physicians to prescribe death, free from outside scrutiny and immune from …Read More