Ruadhán Jones
More than 2,700 healthcare professionals have signed an open letter stating that they are “gravely concerned” about the attempt to introduce assisted suicide in Ireland.
Opponents of the bill, including the majority of geriatricians, argue that it stigmatises the elderly, sick and disabled.
The letter came as submissions close for the second stage of the Dying with Dignity Bill introduced by TD Gino Kenny.
One of the open letter’s signatories, geriatrician and consultant physician Dr Kevin McCarroll, told The Irish Catholic said that the bill results from a prejudice against the elderly and disabled.
“There is an endemic prejudice about older people and unfortunately that leads into Euthanasia becoming an option,” he said.
Dr McCarroll argued that a lack of understanding of palliative care and a “simplistic understanding of dignity” are at the heart of the bill.
“Ultimately, there is a lack of understanding of what can be done in modern medicine in order to palliate them,” he said. ”The real aim should be living with dignity and optimising their care. Some of these people talk about pressure on resources – there shouldn’t be pressure on resources, there should be good quality care.”