Category: Procedures & Services

Tasmania third state to approve euthanasia

The Canberra Times

Australian Associated Press

Tasmania will become the third Australian jurisdiction to legalise voluntary assisted dying after the legislation passed the state’s upper house.

Legislative Council members supported the End of Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Bill late on Tuesday night, approving amendments from the lower house.

The lower house had backed the bill in a 16-6 vote in early March, with Premier Peter Gutwein among a handful of Liberals to support it.

The upper house, where the legislation was introduced by Independent Mike Gaffney, had already passed the bill unanimously late last year. . . continue reading

GP suspended by Medical Council over refusal to give Covid-19 vaccine

Gerard Waters of Celbridge a ‘conscientious objector’ who opposes jab and test referral

The Irish Times

Paul Cullen

A Co Kildare GP who refused to administer Covid-19 vaccines to his patients has been suspended by the Medical Council.

The council, which regulates medical doctors in the State, confirmed that Dr Gerard Waters had been suspended “until further steps are taken”.

Dr. Waters, a GP at the Whitethorn Clinic in Celbridge, last month told RTÉ Radio One’s Liveline programme that he was a “conscientious objector” to the Covid-19 vaccine and would not be recommending it to his patients. . . continue reading

A Source of Hope Yet a Test of Faith; Can Health Practitioners Conscientiously Object to the COVID-19 Vaccines?

Lexology

Barry Wilson, William Harris

The rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations is presenting many difficulties and issues including for health practitioners who have a conscientious objection to the vaccination or administering it on the basis of personal beliefs.

Religious views

One issue that is not unique to COVID-19 vaccinations is their usage of cell lines from aborted foetuses. Australia is deploying the Pfizer and AstraZenca vaccines with the latter developed with the assistance of foetal cell lines. Notably, these cell lines are not the ‘original’ cell lines from the aborted foetuses but are genetically modified cells and the foetal cells used in developing the vaccine are reportedly not present in the final product. . . continue reading

Spain legalises euthanasia and assisted suicide despite conservative opposition

Euronews

Spain became on Thursday the fifth country in Europe to legalise assisted suicide and euthanasia for long-suffering patients of incurable diseases and people with unbearable permanent conditions.

The Spanish parliament’s lower house voted 202-140 with two abstentions on the final passage of the euthanasia bill.

MPs from Spain’s left-wing governing coalition and other parties supported it, while conservative and far-right lawmakers voted against the legislation, vowing to overturn it in the future. . . continue reading

Canada has a new law on medical assistance in dying. Here’s what it means

The Standard

Jacques Gallant

More Canadians will now have access to medical assistance in dying.

The federal government’s Bill C-7, which revamps the country’s assisted dying regime, received royal assent and became law, after the Senate signalled its agreement Wednesday with the House of Commons on the contents of the bill.

“This law will respect the autonomy of Canadians while protecting the vulnerable,” tweeted Justice Minister David Lametti following the Senate vote.

The bill’s passage follows more than a year of bitter debate over medical assistance in dying (MAiD) in Canada. Some have argued that the government’s previous MAiD law did not go far enough and excluded too many people, while others have strenuously denounced C-7 as going too far and sending the message that the lives of people with disabilities have less value. . . continue reading