“EUTHANASIA: IT’S EVERYONE’S ISSUE"
This Wednesday night 19 September, the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties will host a professional debate about euthanasia at The Irish Club, Brisbane.
QCCL vice president Terry O’Gorman said three guest speakers will discuss all the issues surrounding voluntary euthanasia, physician assisted suicide, assisted dying, palliative care and pain relief that causes death.
The debate between two speakers will present positions in support of and against voluntary euthanasia, moderated by Professor Colleen Cartwright, Director of ASLaRC Aged Services Unit at Southern Cross University. Dr Cartwright has been involved in end of life issues for twenty years and has published several research articles.
The two speakers are Neil Francis, President of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies, and Yuri Koszarycz, former senior lecturer in Bioethics at the Australian Catholic University.
“There’s an enormous amount of confusion about what euthanasia actually is – not just in the public sphere, but it’s also widespread among professional health workers and carers,” Mr O’Gorman said.
“According to the Oxford Dictionary, euthanasia is ‘the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma.
Therefore, the decision to take a dying person off artificial life support—whether it be IV tube, ventilator or dialysis machine—is not a euthanasia decision. It is not ‘killing the patient’. It is instead a decision to allow the natural process of dying to take its course”, Mr O’Gorman said.
Mr O’Gorman said the time had come for Australians to seriously consider including an Advance Health Directive, when making their will.
“If people do not want to be sustained on artificial life support when there is no prospect of recovery, it’s absolutely imperative they document their wishes well beforehand by way of a Power of Attorney or Advanced Health Directive,” he said.
“The general community is starting to realise that it’s quite common for terminally ill people to experience extended periods of extreme pain and suffering – directly a result of medical and legal dispute. If more Australians include their AHD or DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) wishes in their will, we will see less of this unnecessary heartache.”
Mr O’Gorman said the speakers would explain that access to adequate pain relief is a human right.
“Even the Catholic Church accepts the St Thomas Aquinas doctrine of double effect, whereby the intention to relieve suffering—by administering pain relief—is permissible even though death is foreseen as a side effect.”
Mr O’Gorman said most terminally ill people did not want euthanasia, however many others wanted it as an available option even though they would never use it. A third group of people who would definitely take the option if it was available and they believed their circumstances justified it.
“From a civil liberties perspective access to voluntary euthanasia is a human right. However, Australian law in all states and territories defines euthanasia with or without clear patient consent as murder.”
This is a public event. Health professionals are particularly welcome to attend.
Mr O’Gorman and the speakers, Neil Francis and Yuri Koszarycz are available for interviews and further comment regarding this event.
EVENT DETAILS: Wed 19 September, 2012 at The Irish Club, Elizabeth Street, Brisbane.
(A small entry charge covers costs and canapés). 6.30pm for 7.30 pm start.
Media Contact: Terry O’Gorman, QCCL Vice President. Business hours: 07 3034 0000. A/H 0418 787 182.
Event Contact: John Ransley, QCCL Executive: 3844 6236 or 0414 649 089 ENDS
Media Contact: Terry O’Gorman, QCCL Vice President. Business hours: 07 3034 0000. A/H 0418 787 182.
Event Contact: John Ransley, QCCL Executive: 3844 6236 or 0414 649 089 ENDS