Legal Euthanasia Is Out Of Control

Here's the ugly truth, folks - euthanasia is out of control in countries and states where it's legal. Duh.

The tragic reality of euthanasia

Over the past few months, a Quebec government commission has been studying euthanasia and assisted suicide. At the end of June, its members flew to Europe to examine the issue in countries where the practices are legal (such as the Netherlands and Belgium) and in a country that rejected legalized euthanasia (France).

What is the commission likely to hear? Proponents of euthanasia will undoubtedly stress that the practice is conducted only within tight guidelines. As a recent study by a Canadian doctor shows, however, these guidelines keep shifting and are of little value in protecting the rights of patients. In fact, according to an article published in Current Oncology by Dr. José Pereira, medical chief of palliative care at Bruyère Continuing Care in Ottawa, safeguards are routinely ignored and abused. more

UK's Latest Killer Doctor The Next Harold Shipman - I Agree

Here’s more on the UK Brit doctor, Howard Martin. The piece argues that Martin is no different than the UK’s most infamous doctor-killer, Dr. Harold Shipman, who probably killed hundreds. I agree wholeheartedly.

Death doctor Howard Martin and Dignity in Dying have more in common with

Dr Howard Martin, struck off by the General Medical Council last week and facing a second criminal investigation into the deaths of several of his patients, is anxious to distance himself from mass-murderer Harold Shipman. Dr Shipman, he says, was “a psychopath”, while Dr Martin claims he was acting out of “Christian compassion”. I’m not sure how Dr Martin can invoke Christianity here, since the gospel enjoins us to visit the sick and comfort the dying, not to kill them, but there we are.

And the GMC described Dr Martin, who has openly boasted of ending the lives of several of his patients, as “egregious, despicable and dangerous”, which are adjectives that could be applied to the late Dr Shipman, even if there are other, worse ones to describe him too. Furthermore, what Dr Martin and Dr Shipman appear to have in common is as follows: They both believed they had an infallible responsibility for deciding when a patient should die (interestingly, Dr Martin claims to have done this with the dying patients’ relatives, which is supposed to make it right); they both appeared to believe that it was in some way ethical for a doctor to kill his patients, or “help them to die” are the weasel-words that euthanasia lobbyists use; they both appear to have believed that some lives, usually those of the terminally ill, are not worth living, which is an unusual judgment for a doctor to make, to say the least. And both of them seem to have had no problem with their conscience while playing God. more

UK Families Begin To Fight Back Against Killer Doctor

Just like the FEN post below, families of patients killed by Howard Martin, the Brit doctor who’s been bragging about killing his patients lately, are beginning to fight back. It’ll be interesting to see how the authorities react, although I’m not optimistic.

Calls for disgraced GP to face charges

FAMILIES of patients who died in the care of North-East GP Howard Martin last night called for the disgraced doctor to face fresh charges.

The appeal to prosecutors came after Dr Martin admitted he had used morphine to hasten deaths – including that of his own son.

The 75-year-old told a national newspaper he had acted out of “Christian compassion”.

Durham Police will consult the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to decide whether to launch a fresh investigation following the admission. more

Counterweight To Smarmy UK Killer Doctors

I reported a few days ago that another Brit doctor had proudly admitted that he had killed some of his patients. Here’s a counter piece that’s a good read.

There's nothing merciful about these doctors who play God

Dr Howard Martin was struck off the GMC for giving vulnerable elderly people excessively high doses of morphine

When someone you love is dying in agony, who has the right to decide whether to speed things up? If a patient has given their consent, should doctors be able to administer large doses of drugs which allow them to slip away without the pain? more

The Other Side Of Pro-Death Doctors

Here’s a more balanced media take on the latest Brit MD to confess to murdering his patients.

The end-of-life dilemmas experienced by GPs

It is one of the starkest ethical dilemmas a doctor can face.

Confronted with a patient who is experiencing great suffering, do you help them end their lives and, at the same time, their pain?

The law is clear: actively carrying out euthanasia is illegal.

However, the case of Dr Howard Martin - who told the Daily Telegraph that he hastened patients' deaths out of "Christian compassion" - illustrates the ethical pressures faced by medical practitioners. more

UK Nurses Back Off Pain Meds = Ignorance Of Palliative Care

Let’s see how long it takes the pro-deathers to take this information and morph it into another rationale for legalizing assisted suicide. Basically, the piece reports a survey of UK nurses who apparently go easy on pain meds because they fear being accused of assisted suicide if the patient dies from the meds. Well, the glaring point here is that these nurses appear to be so poorly trained that they haven’t a clue about the differences between involuntary euthanasia and palliative sedation. Another fine flub by the UK’s National Health Service.

Dying patients refused pain-relief because nurses fear prosecution for assisted suicide

Dying patients are being refused pain-relief because nurses fear they will be prosecuted for assisted suicide, a poll has found.

More than one in 10 nurses say they have held back treatment such as morphine on terminally-ill cancer sufferers in case they are implicated with hastening their death.

Many admit they are leaving their patients in agony but fear they will be charged with giving an overdose if medical records are later scrutinised. more