Quebec tells doctors they will be made to practice euthanasia

This article was published by OneNewsNows on September 25, 2015.

Alex Schadenberg

A Canadian province is getting tough with medical personnel who are opposed to doctor-assisted suicide.

In order to put doctor-assisted suicide into effect, Quebec must have the cooperation of doctors. Some are resisting, even refusing to refer patients to doctors who will use assisted suicide. Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition tells OneNewsNow of the latest edict from the province's health minister.

“The government of Quebec, which is planning to impose euthanasia upon its people starting on December 10, has basically told the doctors, You will do it,” Schadenberg explains. “This is a very concerning situation because they're not saying to the doctors, Oh, we will send somebody and we will [have it done]. No, they're saying, You will do this. This will be done. This is the law. If someone asks for it, you will carry it out.”

In addition, the health minister has a message to hospice programs that help people who are dying from natural causes.

“[The government is telling them if they're] not going to participate in euthanasia, then [it] will lessen the funding ... to palliative care centers who refuse to participate,” he tells OneNewsNow. 

“So therefore when your mother or your father is needing good care as they're nearing death, these doctors and nurses who are providing good care will have a tighter budget because they refuse to kill your mother or your father.”

Schadenberg says it's nothing short of coercing doctors, most of whom don't want to participate in euthanasia.

• Quebec trying to force physician participation in euthanasia.