VAD findings worth read
CONGRATULATIONS to Dr Sid Finnigan for his letter praising Aaron Harper for the outstanding work he did in chairing the Inquiry into Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD).
The research, carried out over 15 months, was extensive and thorough, and the final recommendations were presented to parliament in March.
These recommendations should be read by all members of the public and can be accessed by searching “Health Committee recommendations for VAD”.
Dr Finnigan writes from a doctor’s perspective and reiterates the fact that “even with our excellent world-class palliative care, severe symptoms of suffering continue in approximately 15 per cent of people up to the time of death”.
The Australian Doctor in 2016 revealed two out of three doctors supported VAD law reform.
This is opposed by Catholic bishop Timothy Harris, who states from his experience VAD is not the answer.
He consistently comes up with the theme that the request to die is often the result of poorly controlled pain or nausea. This is completely ignoring the findings of the Health Inquiry that the pain of 15 per cent of people cannot be controlled.
Bishop Harris says it is up to the government to ensure more effective palliative care. The ultimate treatment in palliative care for these patients is often to place them in an induced coma to escape the pain of dying.
My cousin died recently from lung cancer. His life support was removed and he was placed in a coma. It took two weeks for him to die in the most horrendous circumstances.
The family stood by 24 hours every day and watched him gasping and struggling to breathe. They described it as a horrific situation and one they would never forget.
I challenge Bishop Harris to suggest an alternative treatment he thinks palliative care should have given to my cousin, who died in a Sydney hospital.
A VAD law is not opposed to palliative care. We will always need it. Ideally, the two should work together.
Bishop Harris states that when patients are told they are dying it may be that fear overwhelms them and they respond irrationally and “jump at the first thought of ending things immediately”.
In the past, dying was a taboo subject. In today’s society, people are more conditioned to the fact that in the end, we all die.
If the person is religious, then their beliefs no doubt will carry them through. If, on the other hand, they belong to a very fast-growing group of people who have no fear of hellfire and brimstone when they die, they can also have a peaceful death.
The good Bishop also has a dire warning if assisted dying is legislated. He ignores laws here in Australia in Victoria and Western Australia as well as a multitude of countries around the world which have such laws that successfully treat people suffering from irremediable pain with no hope of any recovery.
Their deaths are peaceful and quick without prolonged days of pain and suffering.
Bishop Harris was given the opportunity to join in the extremely successful webinar convened by Mr Harper on August 24 but the offer was declined.
Guest speakers at the webinar were Andrew Denton, who needs no introduction; Professor Ben White, QUT Australian Centre for Health and Law Research; Everald Compton, Uniting Church elder (who believes God would not like people to suffer at the end of their life); David Muir, chair of Clem Jones Group (Clem Jones left $5 million in his will to fund support for VAD); Dr Finnigan, convener with Doctors for Assisted Dying; and Marj Lawrence and Joan Musumeci, both local advocates for VAD.
More than 100 people participated in the webinar.
MARJ LAWRENCE, Condon.