Doctors shouldn’t be used as executioners

So Quebec’s “physician-assisted dying” law has been delayed for a few months. Thank goodness and “bravo” to Dr. Paul Saba! This misguided proposed legislation is a licence to euthanasia promoted by political trendies and misguided health-care folks. We physicians understand our role to be 1) the prevention of disease, 2) the treatment of disease where it has not been prevented and 3) the alleviation of suffering where it is not possible to successfully treat the disease process. Nowhere in my medical training was it mentioned that I should be ready to inject my suffering patient with a lethal drug to cause death.

If Quebec society thinks it is okay to kill suffering patients, why pick on doctors to be the executioners? I have been a member of the Quebec College of Physicians for 44 years. Never have they asked my opinion on this question. I have nevertheless given my unsolicited opinion to them. I know of no colleague who has been consulted on this question by the College of Physicians.

All of my colleagues to whom I have put the question have told me they would not administer a lethal injection to a patient. I am unspeakably appalled at the acquiescence to this legislation of our College of Physicians of Quebec, who I have previously always held in high esteem as a beacon of ethical guidance.

How can society expect the medical profession to comply with euthanasia? Even if a small proportion of physicians would be willing to kill patients for a fee, does this make it right? Let us all hope that common sense and humanity will prevail in this important issue. Our goal is the alleviation of suffering and not expeditious euthanasia or assisted suicide. Stephen Martin, MD, Westmount