Category: News

HSE ordered to ensure abortion service from January 1st

Department asks all 19 maternity units for updates on availability of service Minister says doctors have right to object but women have a right to healthcare

The Irish Times

Jennifer Bray and Paul Cullen

The Department of Health has told the Health Service Executive to ensure abortion will be available in all 19 maternity units from January 1st, amid continuing uncertainty over whether the Government’s deadline for the introduction of the service will be met.

The department has also asked the units to provide updates on how they plan to provide for abortion services from the New Year. Doctors in a number of smaller maternity units have said they do not have the resources to provide the service from next month. . . [Full text]


GPs walk out of EGM over concerns about abortion services

BreakingNews

Update: Dozens of GPs staged a walk-out of the Irish College of General Practitioners’ Extraordinary General Meeting today.

300 members attended the meeting to discuss the provision of abortion services by GPs.

According to the ICGP, 50 or so GPs walked-out after 30 minutes over objections to the official procedure of the meeting.

However, Killarney-based GP Dr Andrew O’Regan, who is Pro Life, said about one-third of the group of more than 300 walked out when the board of the ICGP “refused to accept members’ motions from the floor”. . . [Full text]

He did it: uproar over Chinese gene-edited babies

BioEdge

Michael Cook

A Chinese scientist has faced widespread condemnation for editing the genome of two babies at his lab in the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, together with an American colleague.

The researcher, He Jiankui, outlined his work at the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing in Hong Kong. His experiments have not been peer reviewed or published so it is impossible for other scientists to verify his claims. In a Q&A session, He came under heavy fire from other scientists. . . Full text

HSE to help women find doctors who provide abortion services

Irish Examiner

Elaine Loughlin

A new HSE helpline will provide women seeking terminations with the names of doctors in their locality who provide abortion services.

The helpline which is being set up in tandem with the rollout of abortion services after the passing of the historic referendum to repeal the eighth amendment, will provide advice on options and support to women. . . [Full text]

Canadian doctors grapple with how to approach assisted dying for young patients

Toronto’s Sick Kids hospital drafting policy on requests for assisted dying from those over 18

CBC Radio

Duncan McCue

Three years after Canada’s top court decriminalized doctor-assisted suicide, the federal government is about to wade into an emerging controversy: How to respond to requests from children for medical assistance in dying, or MAID.

Canada’s largest children’s hospital has already gotten a taste of this thorny issue.

“We had discussed that there may be a time in the future that MAID would be available for patients under the age of 18, or a group called ‘mature minors,'” said Dr. Adam Rapoport, director of the Pediatric Advanced Care team at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.

“We, as an organization, like to be ready for things that might be coming down the pike.” . . .[Full text]