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Dying doctor says NZ needs to legalise euthanasia

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Wed, 21 Jul 2010 7:42a.m.

A terminally-ill Auckland doctor says it is time New Zealand made the decision to legalise euthanasia.

Doctor John Pollock has been given just months to live after being diagnosed with metastic melanoma.

Mr Pollock told RadioLIVE this morning that there is overwhelming support for euthanasia in New Zealand.

“We know that most of the population actually supports it and to be quite frank, it’s just a cruel outdated law that prevents either assisted suicide or voluntary euthanasia,” he says.

Prominent Australian euthanasia advocate, Philip Nitschke, otherwise known as "Doctor Death" has praised John Pollock's stance.

“The fact that the person is a doctor and would have been exposed to the worst aspects that some difficult deaths can involve and still wants to take the very courageous course of speaking publically about this – you’ve got to have a lot of courage to go down this path,” he says.

Mr Nitsche is coming to New Zealand again within the next few months, for presentations on euthanasia.

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Comments

09 Sep 2010 10:02a.m.

Sarah wrote:

I suffer CRPS, serve Eczema, Endo and Breast Cancer as well as Post Tramatic Express thanks to every the Dr's have done and Im under 30yr old, cousiously giving hope they have no right to give or can give. LEGALISE EUTHANASIS and let our pain and suffering free.
Tearing of being trapped in side the tortous prison!

24 Jul 2010 12:22a.m.

Glocks wrote:

Its simple: anyone who believes that Euthanasia is an offence against god should be denied access to life extending medecines and surgical procedures. If you truly believe we have no right to speed up an individuals passing, then how can you condone any attempt to postpone it?

23 Jul 2010 04:48p.m.

al wrote:

faith was often behind the pro-life position - but hardly anything was actually said in the bible about euthanasia or birth control and similar issues - the "spiritual" position is compassion - and the less we need controls and prohibitions the more we are able to make decisions for ourselves - thus the greater our ability to make decisions because of our greater maturity as a people....where we don't need prohibitions and controls - legalising things like medical marijuana makes them no longer a crime..

23 Jul 2010 04:05p.m.

al wrote:

i still think we do not do enough medically - by withholding medication and treatment options - all options should be available - not limit ourselves - because that - is what it is - a limitation - medical marijuana for example - more research and access need to be available...

22 Jul 2010 12:09p.m.

Lightseed wrote:

It's always been strange how humane we are towards animals, we do not allow them to suffer but put them down when they get a terminal illness. Yet for humans, we insist of increasing their life, rather than helping people to pass peacefully at a time they wish to when facing a terminal illness.

21 Jul 2010 04:08p.m.

Think about the consequences wrote:

The Voluntary Euthanasia system in the Netherlands 1991 figures: "2,300 instances of euthanasia on request; 400 of assisted suicide; 1,000 instances of life-ending actions without patient request; 8,750 patients in whom life-sustaining treatment was withdrawn or withheld without request, 'partly with the purpose' (4,750) or 'with the explicit purpose' (4,000) of shortening life; 8,100 cases of morphine overdose 'partly with the purpose' (6,750) or 'with the explicit purpose' (1,350) of shortening life; 5,800 cases of withdrawing or withholding treatment on explicit request 'partly with the purpose' (4,292) or 'with the explicit purpose' (1,508) of shortening life (6). Thus, there were up to 23,359 instances of doctors intending, by act or omission, to shorten life. The true incidence of euthanasia could have been as high as 20% of all deaths in the year...overwhelming evidence is now available in the published reports of a number of independent committees of inquiry into the consequences of legalising VE, which all concluded that NO such law could be guaranteed to be safe against the likelihood of abuse." (see http://www.hospicecare.com/Ethics/pollard2.htm for further analysis)

21 Jul 2010 02:34p.m.

Preacher wrote:

Mumsie your directing your anger at the wrong people. Its not the religious nutters, nor those who live by Faith who are keeping this right from you. Its the politicians who desire control over your life. God said 'I put before you this day Life and Death, therefore you choose Life that you and your children may live.' He has always given us the right to choose to us, not a church nor government.

21 Jul 2010 01:20p.m.

David Jacobs wrote:

I have seen suffering and do not wish it on anyone. Thank you for the other comments.
If a woman or couple decide not to have children, they can use birth control to prevent pregnancy. If one is at the end of enjoying a dignified life, then the choice of euthanasia should be up to the individual.
No one wishes to endure pain and suffering, nor do they wish their friends and families to observe and share their suffering. If the choice is to end the suffering then let it be at the discretion of the patient - with dignity and without repercussion to those who assist.

21 Jul 2010 10:06a.m.

bayne wrote:

I agree with Dr Pollock. I lost my wife to cancer coming up 4 years ago. The suffering that they go through is very hard on the family but most of all the patient. I came off a farm and if a animal was sick you put it down. "To put it out of its misery". But we can't do that for the ones we love the most. I know my wife didn't want to go through the time when I had to bathe, change her and clean up the messes. I didn't mind doing that and I would do it again in a heartbeat. But there comes a time when they have had enough and just want the suffering over. Bless Dr Pollock for his courage.

21 Jul 2010 08:18a.m.

Mumsie wrote:

Brave Doctor...... I am always very angry that those people who have 'faith' decide that they know what is best for us non-believers.... I'm not going to heaven or anywhere else... and quite frankly if I left my dog to die in the way that humans are.......... I'd be prosecuted

Everyone has a right to thier own decision..... I don't want religious nutters telling me what's best for me.... I don't interfere with their right to believe and act on whatever they like.....please allow me the same right.