An October 2007 British Medical Journal article is entitled: ‘Doctors who help give lethal injections should be punished, says Amnesty’ (BMJ 2007; 335:690).
Amnesty International opposes medics being involved in execution by lethal injection, a position probably shared by all of us who oppose the death penalty. I would certainly decline to take part in a judicial execution as a qualified medic. For similar reasons – human dignity and the sanctity of life being non-negotiable – I also oppose abortion and so-called assisted dying.
Junior doctors, far in the distant past, were sometimes called to draw up very high doses of morphine for use in syringe drivers. Periodically, as a result of a mathematical error induced by fatigue, an accidental overdose of morphine sometimes accelerated a terminally-ill person’s death by 24 to 48 hours.
Although not intentional, and perhaps only accelerating impending death by a matter of hours, colleagues sometimes reported feeling uneasy after witnessing or being involved in this type of situation.
How do medics involved with deliberate lethal injection of the dying live with their consciences?
Many doctors decline hands-on involvement with abortion. I wonder if a tiny minority of qualified doctors will do the lion’s share of future lethal injecting, if so-called ‘assisted dying’ is ever offered by our local NHS.
Is ‘assisted dying’ a less transparent title than ‘assisted suicide’?
James Hardy, Belfast BT5
