On Jan. 31, a coalition of groups representing over 4,000 doctors lost a court challenge against the College of Physicians Surgeons (CPSO) of Ontario.
The coalition of doctors oppose the effective referral mandate of the CPSO to refer their patients to a doctor who will euthanize the patient, saying that it violates their freedom of conscience and religion as stated in Section 2 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The court in its ruling said that though the policy does limit doctors religious freedom, the breach is justified. Many doctors still adhere to the Hippocratic Oath. Do No Harm and do not belief that killing is medicine. Many doctors will relocate to another province, or retire early leaving the health care system in a jumble. Nurses, pharmacists and palliative care providers who do not want to compromise their conscience are also affected.
Only two years ago euthanasia and assisted suicide was punishable up to 14 years in jail. How long will it be before doctors face going to jail because they refuse to euthanize their patients?
Will the doctor who snicked into a Jewish care home in Vancouver killing an elderly resident go to jail?
Not likely, after all medical killing is legal, it was just because the care home has a policy against euthanasia. More fodder for the pro-euthanasia activists to launch a court challenge, just as they are accusing St. Paul’s Hospital for refusing to euthanize a patient, though the hospital was willing to transport the patient to another “will do” facility.
All the promised safe-guards have vanished. We have indeed arrived at the bottom of the slippery slope.
Hildegard Krieg