People’s right to die has become duty to die

Should doctors be allowed to kill their patients, asks Right to Life spokesman Ken Orr.

It is proposed by some of our community that the Crimes Act be changed to allow doctors to kill their patients or assist in their suicide. Assisting in suicide or committing a homicide are serious crimes which may be punished with a term of imprisonment.

In the event that a doctor gave a lethal injection with the purpose of terminating the life of a patient, he would be charged under the Crimes Act 1961, section 159 Culpable homicide.

These laws are there to protect the vulnerable in society: the aged, the disabled and those seriously ill, we remove them at our peril.

It should be known that the World Medical Association, which represents medical associations in 102 countries, is totally opposed to euthanasia. The New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA), which represents more than 5500 registered medical practitioners, is also opposed, as are palliative care specialists and Hospice New Zealand.

The medical profession is absolutely clear that euthanasia is about doctors killing their patients.

Dr Paul Ockelford, the then chairman of the NZMA, at a public meeting discussing euthanasia in Dunedin in 2012, had this to say: ‘‘If the NZMA condoned doctors taking a life, would we teach it at medical school? Would we have a course that teaches students to kill? And the ethical considerations do not stop there. Where should you put the line in the sand?''

NZMA, however, encourages the concept of death with dignity and comfort and strongly supports the right of patients to decline treatment or to request pain relief and supports the right of access to appropriate palliative care.

In supporting patients' right to request pain relief, the NZMA accepts that the proper provision of such relief, even when it may hasten the death of the patient, is not unethical. The first principle of medicine is to do no harm. It is of the utmost importance that the trust that we have in the medical profession is not threatened.

Could we ever trust our doctor if we knew that killing us was a treatment option?

Would we ever enter a hospital with confidence if we did not know whether we were going to be cured or killed?

A recent study published in the Journal of Medical Studies reveals that in Belgium thousands of patients are being killed against their will and two-thirds of the patients were not suffering a terminal illness.

Doctors did not inform the patient's family because they believed medical staff should make the decision. It is clear the right to die has become a duty to die.