Category: Canada

Canadian Medical Association affirms physician freedom of conscience

During the 146th Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Medical Association in Calgary, Alberta, discussion of motions concerning euthanasia and assisted suicide demonstrated how contentious the issues are for physicians.  The delegates could not even agree upon what terminology should be used for the procedures, referring the question to the CMA board of directors.  [Vancouver Sun; CMAJ] However, delegates “easily” passed a motion put forward by one of the delegates to support physician freedom of conscience:

The Canadian Medical Association supports the right of any physician to exercise conscientious objection when faced with a request for medical aid in dying. (DM 5-22)

Editorial: Rx: No to assisted suicide

Calgary Herald

Editorial

They’re the forgotten ones in the heated debate over assisted suicide — the doctors.
Up until now, discussion of the issue has focused exclusively on patients. However, a new Canadian Medical Association survey that shows only about one-quarter of doctors would be willing to participate in an assisted suicide should act as a warning to all. Suddenly, the doctors’ perspective comes into plain view — doctors do not want to help kill people.[Full text]

Most Canadian doctors unwilling to partake in physician-assisted suicide if legalized, survey suggests

Calgary Herald

 Sharon Kirkey

Just 26 per cent of doctors surveyed by the Canadian Medical Association said they would be “very or somewhat likely” to participate in doctor-assisted dying.

Only one quarter of the nation’s doctors would be willing to help terminally ill patients end their lives if the practice of doctor-assisted suicide were legalized in this country, a survey by Canada’s biggest doctors’ group suggests.

Just 26 per cent of doctors surveyed by the Canadian Medical Association said they would be “very or somewhat likely” to participate in doctor-assisted dying, while 54 per cent were “very or somewhat unlikely” to do so, according to a summary of the survey posted on the CMA’s website. [ Full text]

Abortion in “rural” British Columbia

 Researchers include city of 85,000 as part of “rural” B.C.

 Sean Murphy*

Abstract: 

Two recent research papers based on a 2011 survey of physicians providing abortion in British Columbia assert that “rural abortion services are disappearing in Canada.”  However, what the papers contribute to an understanding of the “barriers” to abortion services in rural British Columbia is doubtful, for two reasons.  First: the analytical structure proposed (the urban-rural dichotomy as defined by the authors) is inadequate.  Second: the authors ignore the significance of an important variable: the nature of the facilities or institutions where abortions are performed.  Concerns expressed about “access” to abortion are frequently accompanied by demands that freedom of conscience for health care workers should be suppressed.  Given the weaknesses noted above, the authors would have been hard-pressed to justify such a suggestion.  To their credit, they do not do so.
[Full Text]