Media Release
For release: Thursday May 26, 2011
The Australian Christian Lobby has rejected claims by euthanasia advocates that palliative care can complement euthanasia.
The ACL’s Chief of Staff Lyle Shelton said the YourLastRight.com group’s suggestion that palliative care would go hand in hand with euthanasia was misleading.
“Legalising euthanasia is likely to take away the imperative for Governments to adequately fund palliative care, which is where our efforts as a society should be concentrated as we seek to provide dignity at the end of life,” he said.
“Euthanasia involves the deliberate killing of a patient using a lethal substance which is very different from the quite legal and compassionate practice of relieving a patient’s pain even if it does hasten death.
“Four state parliaments have already knocked back legalised euthanasia in the last three years because of fears euthanasia could never be made safe for vulnerable sick and elderly patients.
“It’s clear there is no way to build safeguards into euthanasia law to stop the vulnerable and the depressed from being killed through subtle coercive pressure.
We know this because Northern Territory’s experience with euthanasia laws shows that such fears are well founded.
“Of the seven deaths associated with the Territory’s Rights of the Terminally Ill Act three patients were socially isolated and symptoms of depression were common. ‘Consensus over the terminal nature of illness proved difficult to reach in two cases’.[1]
“In evidence before a Tasmanian euthanasia inquiry in 2009 Dr Philip Nitschke, who was involved in each of the four deaths to have occurred directly under the ROTI Act, admitted that a psychiatrist had probably breached the law by giving ‘a rather cursory assessment’ of a patient’s psychological capacity.”[2]
[1] Kissane, D., Street, A. & Nitschke, P. (1998), ‘Seven deaths in Darwin: case studies under the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act, Northern Territory, Australia’, The Lancet, 352, 1097-1102, p. 1098
[2] http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/ctee/Transcripts/31%20August%2009%20-%20Hobart%20dwd.pdf, pp. 112-113
Contrary to ACL’s views, palliative care & physician- assisted- dying have been proven to successfully complement each other. In Belgium there is a very high standard of palliative care & this is totally integrated with PAD in national health there, since its introduction. Palliative care can lead on to PAD when pain cannot be adequately controlled.
Oregan already had a good hospice situation when PAD was made legal in 2008. It has helped the whole fabric of end-of-life care. And it was crafted very carefully to avoid abuse. The patient must request the medication. The idea is never put to them.
Day 1, 1st request. 15 days to 2nd request. 2nd opinion of a doctor. A written request then needed, The prescription is given after at least 15 days. There must be 2 witnesses, one not family. And the person must injest the pills themselves.
How could you call this “DELIBERATE KILLING OF A PATIENT?”
Many people in Oregan & Belgium who ask for PAD, never take the medication. But they have peace of mind because of the option.
I am a committed Christian & a strong advocate for Physician Assisted Dying.
Margaret
Sorry, but what happened to Mrs. Santiago shows that there is a more ominous side to physician-assisted-dying.
http://www.cjd.org/paper/santiago.html
also
Elderly people in the Netherlands are now so fearful of being killed by doctors that they carry cards saying they do not want euthanasia, according to a campaigner who says allowing assistant suicide in Britain would put the vulnerable at risk.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8466996/Fearful-elderly-people-carry-anti-euthanasia-cards.html
also
Legalised euthanasia has led to a severe decline in the quality of care for terminally-ill patients in Holland, it has been claimed. Many ask to die ‘out of fear’ because of an absence of effective pain relief, according to a new book. Even the architect of the controversial law has admitted she may have made a mistake in pushing it through because of its impact on services for the elderly.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1234295/Now-Dutch-turn-legalised-mercy-killing.html#ixzz1NYYgQ5M7