“We are being bullied to participate in medical assistance dying” Alert from a growing number of Canadian physicians News Release Physicians’ Alliance Against Euthanasia Montréal, March 9, 2020 – The Physicians’ Alliance against Euthanasia has received reports that unwilling physicians are being pressured and bullied to participate in Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD): euphemism for euthanasia and assisted suicide. Fearing reprisals, physicians have asked that no information that could identify …Read More
Tag Archives: doctors
Disappointment at Proposed NZ Abortion Legislation
The Proposed Abortion Legislation Dr Catherine Hallagan, spokesperson for the New Zealand Health Professionals Alliance is hugely disappointed at the proposed Abortion Legislation Bill released by Cabinet today. Dr Hallagan says that Abortion must remain in the Crimes Act because, at some point, killing a child is a crime. It should remain a crime to kill a baby in utero, unless the grounds for abortion are met as defined in …Read More
Euthanasia and the common good
Originally published in Corpus, July 2018 by Charlotte Paul When I started thinking hard about euthanasia, I visited my friend who has a progressive illness affecting his body and mind, and who is in hospital-level care. His partner has moved into the same residence to help look after him. She responds to his suffering with love, and you can sometimes see in his eyes that he recognises this. I honour them both: his endurance and gratitude; her generosity. …Read More
When doctors say No
Originally published in MercatorNet, May 2017 by Michael Quinlan As abortion, euthanasia and other controversial procedures become more widespread, conscientious objection for healthcare workers is becoming a flashpoint for controversy throughout the Western world. Some doctors and ethicists have argued that conscientious objection itself is unethical because doctors are required to fulfil any legal request that their patients make. MercatorNet interviewed Professor Michael Quinlan, dean of the law school at …Read More
Protecting the Careers of Medical Professionals Who Believe in the Hippocratic Oath
Originally published in The Center for Bioethics and Culture, May 2009 by Wesley J. Smith We live in a culturally diverse society in which people vary greatly in their moral beliefs about the importance of human life. These profound differences are most bitterly expressed in the medical context, particularly with regard to issues such as abortion, physician-assisted suicide, embryonic stem cell research, and other life and death policies and procedures. …Read More
Why the right to conscientious objection must be restored
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
Doctor support for assisted suicide drops radically after legalization
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
David E. Richmond: In 40 years of terminal care I’ve never seen unmanageable suffering
Originally published in The New Zealand Herald, 16 January 2018 By David E. Richmond Dr Havill’s opinion piece in last Tuesday’s Herald is a fine example of the genre of emotionalism he rails against in those who oppose his attempts to convince the public that legalised euthanasia is the holy grail of medicine. Unfortunately he has not been able to save himself from the mire of emotionalism and exaggeration he criticises …Read More
A doctor’s view: ‘I do not support legalising assisted dying’
Originally published in Stuff, 1 February 2016 Dear Stuff community, As a doctor, I do not support legalising assisted dying. I recognise that people on both sides of this debate have compassion for people who are suffering and want to help them. The main difference in opinion is the way in which we think our society and government should go about that. We all value autonomy/choice, although I would …Read More
Euthanasia, Assisted suicide and the Medical Profession: ‘Keep Doctors Out of It’.
Originally published by The Nathaniel Centre, Issue 52 August 2017 Doctors are not necessary for the regulation or practice of euthanasia and assisted suicide Many doctors want no part in euthanasia or assisted suicide, including some who, on a personal level, are not opposed in principle. As stated in “An Open Letter to New Zealanders” signed to date by more than 300 doctors, “Doctors are not necessary in the regulation …Read More