Death With Dignity !

It is a point of shame that here in New South Wales a terminal disease can end in a painful death.  A law that would have enabled such people to end their own life with the help of their doctor was voted down by just one vote in the state parliament.

Public opinion polls clearly show a vast majority of New South Wales citizens would welcome the sort of legislation that is now law in Victoria and it is interesting to review the result now that landmark law is legal in that state.   It came into force on June 19.

It only applies to permanent residents of Victoria and since its inception  a hundred and forty applicants have applied to be allowed to die with dignity.  This form of relief is only applicable to those suffering a terminal disease who satisfy the medical professions assessment that death is inevitable in a short space of time, and that is strewn with safeguards.

The applicant is required to convince two doctors, one of which is an expert in the applicable disease, of their eligibility.  The application must be made by the person concerned and can not be instituted by others and after that application it must be confirmed three more times before it will be granted.
The Victorian  Voluntary Assisted  Dying Review Board  assesses every application and this coming February it will release the numbers who ended their lives under this legislation.

This is a process that through necessity is slow and careful.  It is the wish of most people that when death comes it will be without excruciating pain and unfortunately many diseases are notorious for delivering a slow and painful death.  The safeguards in place ensure that the patient is confirming that death request after careful consideration and sufficient thought.

A Melbourne oncologist who sits on the  Dying with Dignity board comments that one of the hurdles facing applicants for an assisted death was finding a specialist doctor in their disease who had undertaken the necessary dying training.  In particular, there was an acute shortage of haematologists who had undertaken the training  and were able to assess patients who were dying of  blood cancer.

The people involved in the scheme were doing a fantastic job, but there is a real need for more specialist doctors to sign up. Both doctors and politicians seemed scared of the vocal minority that opposes death with dignity on religious grounds and fear vilification.    It should be noted that those assisting with this service are not being tarred and feathered on the streets of Melbourne.

Sadly, the people living north of the Victorian border will have to wait until this is again raised in the New South Wales parliament and hope that this time the politicians are more courageous.  The misery of a slow and painful death can be avoided.  It simply awaits the politicians gaining the fortitude to vote in conformity with the view of the public majority !