Jeff Blackmer, the former ethicist and current Vice President for medical professionalism with the Canadian Medical Association told Ryan Tumilty from Metro news that Canadian doctors have been telling his group that they struggle with taking part in assisted-death procedures.
He said physicians who have agreed to help a patient they knew well may find it difficult to help subsequent patients.
“They will say, it was just too difficult and too traumatizing physiologically and it is not something I will go through again,” he said. “They really struggle with it, and for some of those that is the only one they will do.”
Blackmer said some of Canada’s physicians are entirely ruling out providing end-of-life assistance to future patients.
“In some provinces where they have a list of providers where they may be willing to participate, I know from speaking to colleagues that some of those lists are getting shorter.”
He said the CMA has not received any reports of doctors being pressured into providing assisted suicide
[Note: When Blackmer says “end-of-life assistance,” he actually means lethal injection. ]
The reality is that killing another human being, even if that person has asked to be killed, is innately wrong and dangerous. Canadians should actually be concerned about doctors who do not have a problem with killing their patients.
Editor’s note. This appeared on Mr. Schadenberg’s blog and is reposted with permission.
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
