EUTHANASIA advocate Dr Philip Nitschke is facing a fresh challenge to his medical registration after a complaint that he told colleagues assisted suicide should be made possible for social reasons, like the inability to play golf.<\/p>\n
Perth-based pain management specialist Dr Mark Schutze, who lodged the complaint with AHPRA, told MO that during a seminar organised by doctors at the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Dr Nitschke argued that anyone over the age of 70 should have the right to euthanasia.<\/p>\n
Dr Schutze alleges that Dr Nitschke advocated euthanasia for those grieving the loss of a spouse or prevented from partaking in hobbies such as golf due to poor health.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy concern is that he is creating an impression that suicide can be normalised,\u201d Dr Schutze said. \u201cI think that is a dangerous and very extreme view that is not part of medicine. I don\u2019t think he is entitled to hold a medical registration if that is what he is promoting.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it becomes a community norm to simply\u2026 end it all, then you will see a rise in the number of suicides and an increase in death rates among people who do not have to die, and I think it is really irresponsible.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Dr Nitschke hit back, saying the examples cited by Dr Schutze were actual reasons people had given him when seeking advice or help with euthanasia plans.<\/p>\n
Dr Nitschke maintains that he did not advocate euthanasia as a solution when discussing these cases.<\/p>\n
He said he used the examples to pose hypothetical questions to the audience to gauge reaction and discuss how such requests would be handled.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is an outrageous complaint which AHPRA should have dismissed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a discussion among medical professionals, there ought to be a degree of ability to speak openly and freely, especially when they have requested to hear about my experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n
AHPRA has asked that Dr Nitschke provide a response to the complaint by 28 March but said he planned to seek an extension until after he runs in the federal senate election in WA on 5 April.<\/p>\n
Two separate AHPRA investigations into Dr Nitschke regarding the unregistered barbiturate Nembutal and the advocacy of inhaled nitrogen for hypoxic death are ongoing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
EUTHANASIA advocate Dr Philip Nitschke is facing a fresh challenge to his medical registration after a complaint that he told colleagues assisted suicide should be made possible for social reasons, like the inability to play golf. Perth-based pain management specialist Dr Mark Schutze, who lodged the complaint with AHPRA, told MO that during a seminar […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n