Watch: Chris Fearne Warns Doctors Risk Legal Action For Easing Pain Of Terminally Ill Patients
PL MP and former Health Minister Chris Fearne warned that doctors currently risk facing legal action if they prescribe terminally ill patients with pain-relief medication like morphine that might slightly shorten their lives.
Interviewed on ONE TV show Xray, which is hosted by PL MP Amanda Spiteri Grech, Fearne urged the government to address this legal anomaly immediately without waiting for its next electoral manifesto.
“This isn’t euthanasia, which is requesting a doctor to terminate your life, but the consequence of pain-relief treatment, and it’s illegal as it stands,” he said.
Fearne said that there have been cases, including an ongoing inquiry, whereby people accused doctors of giving their terminally ill relative medication that resulted in the premature termination of their life.
“I believe that if you have a terminal illness, you should be able to tell your doctor that you don’t want to die in pain,” he said.
“Perhaps a patient wouldn’t want to terminate their life but they would grant permission to slightly shorten it as a side effect of pain-relief medication. Such permission is still illegal and doctors aren’t protected.”
“I’m not saying it happens but it could be the case that doctors decide to hold back from giving the patient all the medicine they need out of fear that someone accuses them of terminating their life prematurely.”
Fearne said that this legal anomaly should be fixed immediately, irrespective of discussions on the legalisation of voluntary euthanasia.
Photo: XRay (One.com.mt)
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