By Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director – Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
Dr Ramona Coelho
Recently Canadians have, once again, experienced a plethora of articles concerning euthanasia. Among the objectives of the barrage of stories, I am convinced, is to pressure physicians to join the “list” of those who are willing to kill their patients.
Moreover the media is campaigning against the “safeguards” in the law to increase access to death by lethal injection.
In an article published last week by CBC London, Dr. Ramona Coelho says that she is being pressured to be involved with euthanasia.
One year after medically assisted death was made law in Canada, a London physician is adamant the rules are putting undue pressure on physicians who don’t want to refer patients for the procedure.
A recent Globe and Mail article written by Kelly Grant quotes Dr. Mark D’Souza, who stopped his palliative care practice because the euthanasia law put him at direct risk of losing his medical license because he opposes euthanasia:
“If [patients] complain that I’m not the one picking up the phone [to do the referral], my licence would be in jeopardy,” he said. “That’s not a scenario I want to expose myself to, and that’s why I left palliative care.”
The media is campaigning for more euthanasia.
On July 3, the Globe and Mail published an article about Vancouver Island doctor Jesse Pewarchuk who had lethally injected 20 people in British Columbia but who has decided to stop doing euthanasia because the BC government isn’t paying him enough money to kill.
An article published by CBC London promotes Dr. Scott Anderson, who is one of two doctors in London Ontario who is willing to kill patients. This article appears to encourage other physicians to participate in euthanasia and to inform local physicians to refer their patients for lethal injection to Dr. Anderson.
Dr. Anderson offers some interesting quotes in the article:
“When somebody is asking for your help to die, I don’t see how the answer can be no.”
In another instance, the patient wanted a medically assisted death but his family was against it. With his main responsibility to the patient, Anderson performed the procedure while the family was away from the residence.
If Dr. Anderson is visiting your depressed family member or friend, don’t leave them alone.
On July 5 the Globe and Mail published an article, ”Ontario’s assisted-dying law plagued by service woes,” which also appears to be campaigning for more physicians to kill and for more resources for euthanasia. Kelly Grant claims that there are only a few doctors who are willing to kill people in Ontario.
Only 74 doctors and nurse practitioners have signed up for the new care co-ordination service, down from 181 when the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care shut down its old confidential referral list of medical-aid-in-dying (MAID) providers on May 31.
She also publishes a quote from Chantal Perrot, a doctor who has participated in 20 euthanasia deaths but who is not on the referral list.
Grant concludes by reporting that there have been 548 euthanasia deaths in Ontario since June 17, 2016 when euthanasia became legal in Canada.
A CBC article written by Nicole Ireland, and published in April stated that on March 31, there had been 365 euthanasia deaths in Ontario. Therefore there have been 183 euthanasia deaths in the last two months in Ontario.
There are not too few euthanasia deaths, but rather too many.
Sadly, the number of euthanasia deaths in Canada far exceeds the original predictions.
Canada is becoming the example to America of why euthanasia should never be legalized.
Thank you Dr. Ramona Coelho, Dr. Mark D’Souza, and the many caring physicians and nurse practitioners who continue to oppose killing patients or directly referring patients to death.
Editor’s note. This appeared on Mr. Schadenberg’s blog and is reposted with permission.