Category: Euthanasia

Let’s Expand the Scope of Conscience Protection

Evolution News and Science Today

 Wesley J. Smith

As I have written here and elsewhere, attacks on medical conscience are proliferating, and the ground is being prepared to strip doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and others of the ability to practice their professions under the principles of Hippocratic ideals.

I suspect that if the Left ever again takes control of the government, conscience rights will come under even more concerted attack than is currently happening. I mean, they tried to force nuns to provide contraception in the order’s health insurance.

A bill was introduced in Congress to strengthen existing conscience protections. Called the Conscience Protection Act of 2017, . . . but the legislation, as written, is far too narrowly drawn. The pending crisis of medical conscience extends far beyond abortion. . . [Full text]

 

Why is Ontario forcing docs to participate in euthanasia?

Toronto Sun

Editorial

From the beginning of the debate over the now legal medical procedure of medically assisted dying, politicians have simply assumed doctors would do it.

Why? Why assume all doctors (and nurses) would be comfortable with this burden?

Especially since the medical professionals most likely to encounter requests for euthanasia would be those devoted to palliative care, to giving their patients as good a quality of life as possible in the final stages of life.

Canada’s assisted dying law does not require doctors to provide medically assisted death personally.

But in Ontario, they must refer the patient to a doctor who will do it, known as effective referral, which many medical professionals say violates their conscience rights not to participate in the euthanasia process. . . [Full text]

 

Ontario conscience rights bill voted down

Catholic Register

Michael Swan

In a strict party lines vote, a bill that would have shielded doctors and other health care providers from punishment for refusing to refer their patients on for assisted suicide was voted down at Queen’s Park on May 18.

In a recorded vote, 39 Liberals and New Democrats voted against Bill 129, Jeff Yurek’s private members’ bill aimed at protecting the conscience rights of doctors and other health care professionals. All 23 Progressive Conservatives backed their health critic’s bill.

Focus now shifts to the Christian Medical and Dental Society of Canada’s court challenge to the forced referral policy of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. Three days of oral arguments are scheduled for Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Divisional Court June 13-15. . . [Full text]

 

Bill Allowing Ontario Doctors to Reject Assisted Suicide Fails

Ontario doctor: “Making a referral [for assisted suicide] is being complicit in the act of killing a patient”

Church Militant

Bradley Eli

TORONTO (ChurchMilitant.com) – A bill, allowing Ontario’s doctors to opt out of assisted suicide, has failed to pass.

On Thursday, Ontario’s legislative assembly voted down Bill 129, which would’ve shielded doctors from having to refer suicidal patients to doctors, who would help kill them. . .  Bill 129 would have protected doctors from prosecution when they refused to be complicit in killing patients. The bill reads, “A member shall not be subject to (liability or disciplinary penalty) for refusing to participate, directly or indirectly, in medical assistance in dying.” . . .  [Full text]

 

Health care workers bring case for conscience rights to Ontario legislature

Catholic Register

Michael Swan

Armed with letters of support from religious community leaders, plus the official positions of the Ontario, Canadian and American Medical Associations, health care professionals descended on Queen’s Park May 18 in support of a Progressive Conservative private members’ bill that would shield doctors from punishment by the College of Physicians and Surgeons and other regulatory bodies if they refuse to refer for medically assisted suicide.

As the doctors entered the provincial legislature at 9 a.m., security staff warned the doctors they would not be allowed to sit in the public gallery that rings the law makers if they wear their scrubs, as that would be considered a form of protest.

Wearing her scrubs, Concerned Ontario Doctors president Dr. Kulvinder Gill made the case for Conservative health critic Jeff Yurek’s Bill 129 at a 9:45 a.m. press conference. . . [Full text]