Sir – The proposed legislation relating to assisted suicide is a cause for concern for a variety of reasons.
First, the proposed legislation is anchored on the principle of “terminal” disease. In rapidly evolving modern medicine, the application of the designation of “terminal” is not reliable and is prone to error.
Second, the potential enhancement of individual autonomy for decision-making is already provided for by legislation in the form of advanced healthcare directives. This existing legislation empowers individuals to make decisions regarding the extent of potential medical interventions.
Third, the provision of palliative care medicine, which provides a critical resource for people who find themselves in distressing and difficult circumstances, may be undermined.
To progress this issue in a hasty fashion, under the shadow of a Covid pandemic, would be a disservice to the vulnerable patients that it is aimed to help. – Yours, etc,
Prof JIM EGAN,
Consultant Respiratory
Physician,
Mater Misericordiae
Hospital, Dublin 7.