The discussion addresses the doctor's freedom of conscience, euthanasia in the residential setting, and the process ex ante
This post is a continuation of the previous one.
Joaquín Díaz Atienza
A. Decision made in the spirit and conscience of the physician
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he document only raises this issue in relation to whether the patient's doctor will be the one to perform the euthanasia. According to the 2002 Euthanasia Law, the doctor can act freely according to their conscience: "No doctor shall be compelled to perform euthanasia." If a doctor is against euthanasia, they must inform the patient beforehand and explicitly.
B. Supplementary care point for euthanasia in a residential context
The doctor and the patient will determine the most appropriate location for euthanasia. It is recommended that this decision be made jointly by the doctor, the patient, and their family and friends. If the decision is ultimately made to perform the euthanasia at the facility where the patient resides, the potential impact on other patients will be taken into account. Therefore, the document recommends that the care team "seek a procedure that prevents and limits, as much as possible, the traumatic impact on other patients."
C. Ex-ante control
This section attempts to justify euthanasia in a care setting that is under the supervision of the Brothers of Charity, a religious organization belonging to the Catholic Church.
Their ambivalence is reflected in this paragraph: "we want to respect the doctor's therapeutic freedom, although on the other hand we do not wish to allow euthanasia to be practiced except with the greatest possible prudence in an establishment of the Brothers of Charity."
Ex-ante control attempts to combine maximum prudence with therapeutic freedom.
This ex-ante prudence involves circumscribing and justifying the decision. It must be motivated by: 1) the legal conditions; 2) the specific prudential requirements; 3) the decision to perform it by the same doctor or to perform it at the facility; and 4) the supplementary care point in the event of euthanasia being performed at the healthcare center.
The chief physician convenes an interdisciplinary evaluation committee composed of: collaborators from the medical center concerned, a minimum of two brothers from the religious order who must be experts in this matter and not belong to the center, and a minimum of two people who do not belong to either the center or the religious order.
If the commission judges that The motivation lacks prudence; it will urge the doctor to renounce euthanasia, even though the doctor retains his therapeutic freedom (???)
As is easily understood, it's all a setup to try to justify euthanasia and, at the same time, soothe the consciences of those who have an obligation to follow the guidelines of their own Director General and from the Vatican to those who have disobeyed so far.
Nor, as of today, am I aware that the Vatican has taken the announced disciplinary measures.
You can get the Document in .pdf format via this link.
