Delivering death
Sir: Is it not curious how we doctors, often decried by the public as being self-pro- claimed gods regarding decisions on life and death, are frequently given by the same society the power of death before birth (abortion), and now in Oregon (`The killing fields of Oregon', 19 November) the power of termination before death (euthanasia)? Neither intervention is part of the Hippo- cratic medical tradition. The problems being disposed of by abortion and euthana- sia are, in the main, societal and not medi- cal. Modern society might well give thought to appointing its own pre-determinants and terminators, preferably non-moral, non-med- ical and non-paid. Doctors ought not to be delivering death. Our job has always been to keep alive, and to allow people to die with dignity, with pain relief and with empathy.
Professor Denis Gill
Professor of Paediatrics Children's Hospital, Temple Street, Dublin
Previous page
