Senate Bill 136 has been approved by the Michigan Senate Health Policy Committee and will move to a vote in the state senate. The bill provides protection for health care payers, purchasers, providers, and institutions. A Michigan Radio report incorrectly states that the bill requires referral by objecting health care workers.
Philippines Supreme Court suspends controversial Reproductive Health Law
The Philippines RH Act, which was to go into effect on 31 May, has been temporarily suspended by a 10-5 ruling of the Philippines Supreme Court. The court will hear arguments for and against the law on 18 June, 2013. The ruling is a result of nine petitions against the law filed in the court. The petitioners are
- Francisco “Kit” Tatad and his wife, Ma. Fenny
- James Imbong, his wife and minor children.
- Doctors for Life
- Filipinos for Life (F4L),
- Serve Life Cagayan de Oro City,
- Task Force for Family and Life Visayas, Inc.,
- Valeriano Avila,
- Expedito Bugarin and Eduardo Olaguer,
- Catholic Xyberspace Apostolate of the Philippines.
Nebraska psychologist opposes freedom of conscience
Dr. William Spaulding, a former president of the Nebraska Psychological Association, has criticized the proposed Health Care Freedom of Conscience Act because it does not force health care workers to refer for services or procedures to which they object for reasons of conscience. The bill requires an objector to disclose that moral or religious beliefs prevent him from providing treatment so that the patient can seek assistance elsewhere, but does not force them to assist patients to find someone willing to provide the contested service.
Spaulding claims that an objector may refuse to treat a distraught patient who is involved in homosexual activity or who has homosexual inclinations by saying, “I have a religious belief against you and you have a moral problem.”
He refuses a compromise by which patients are provided a general list of alternative practitioners without specific referral to someone willing to affirm and support homosexuality, asserting, “Compromising on prejudice is not a compromise.” [Star Herald]
New frontiers in repressing dissent
Re: Reproductive Health (Access to Terminations) Bill (2013)
(State of Tasmania)
UN Human Rights Council equates lack of access to abortion with torture
Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
The present report focuses on certain forms of abuses in health-care settings that
may cross a threshold of mistreatment that is tantamount to torture or cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment. It identifies the policies that promote these practices and existing protection gaps.
By illustrating some of these abusive practices in health-care settings, the report sheds light on often undetected forms of abusive practices that occur under the auspices of health-care policies, and emphasizes how certain treatments run afoul of the prohibition on torture and ill-treatment. It identifies the scope of State‟s obligations to regulate, control and supervise health-care practices with a view to preventing mistreatment under any pretext.
The Special Rapporteur examines a number of the abusive practices commonly reported in health-care settings and describes how the torture and ill-treatment framework applies in this context. [Report]