Voluntary euthanasia campaigner Dr Philip Nitschke is glad the issue of ‘rational suicide’ is being publicly debated, despite one case leading to his suspension.<\/p>\n
After a three-day hearing, the Northern Territory Health Professional Review Tribunal reserved its decision on his appeal against his suspension by the Medical Board of Australia.<\/p>\n
Dr Nitschke is yet to face another hearing, after the board announced on Monday it had referred 12 counts of alleged professional misconduct to the tribunal.<\/span><\/p>\n In July, the board used its emergency powers to immediately suspend Dr Nitschke, after ruling he posed ‘a serious risk to the health and safety of the public’.<\/span><\/p>\n The ruling followed the suicide of Perth man Nigel Brayley, 45, who died in May after communicating with Dr Nitschke and attending an Exit International workshop in Perth in February.<\/span><\/p>\n The suspension prevents him from practising anywhere in Australia and is an interim measure pending the outcome of a board inquiry.<\/span><\/p>\n Dr Nitschke said the medical board told him his view that people have a right to choose to take their own life was incompatible with his responsibility as a doctor.<\/span><\/p>\n On Thursday, he told AAP Mr Brayley’s case had allowed the issue of rational suicide to broaden the public debate about matters relating to end-of-life choices.<\/span><\/p>\n While the publicity and the follow-up on his suspension served ‘a very valuable purpose’, Dr Nitschke said a lot of damage had been done to him and his supporters in terms of stress, strain and cost.<\/span><\/p>\n In those terms, it would have been better for him if he had never met Mr Brayley and he would have had a more peaceful and comfortable life this year, he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Referring to the 12 new complaints, Dr Nitschke said it appeared the board was saying ‘if we don’t get you on this (the suspension), we will get you on these’.<\/span><\/p>\n ‘They have gone out digging up the bodies and looking through the entrails of past deaths,’ he said.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Voluntary euthanasia campaigner Dr Philip Nitschke is glad the issue of ‘rational suicide’ is being publicly debated, despite one case leading to his suspension. After a three-day hearing, the Northern Territory Health Professional Review Tribunal reserved its decision on his appeal against his suspension by the Medical Board of Australia. Dr Nitschke is yet to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n