LifeSiteNews.com reports on conscience rights concerns for physicians in Mexico and Canada.
Hundreds of Mexican Health Care Workers and Hospitals Seek Exemption from Requirement to Provide Abortions
By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman, Latin America Correspondent
MEXICO CITY, June 10, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Hundreds of doctors, nurses, and even whole medical institutions are seeking legal exemption from Official Mexican Norm (NOM) 046, which requires medical practitioners to perform abortions on women who claim they have been raped, within 72 hours of the request.
The administration of President Felipe Calderon approved the new regulation on April 16 after coming under pressure from pro-abortion "human rights" groups such as Amnesty International .
Originally NOM 046 was to say that the abortions "may" be performed, but following the protests, the word was changed to "will," earning the denunciation of pro-life groups and individuals throughout Mexico.
According to the Center for Analysis and Strategic Proposal in Defense of Human Rights (TAD), medical personnel and institutions in various states, including Aguascalientes, Baja California, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Guanajuato, Jalsico, Michoacan, Nuevo Lion, Puebla, Queretaro, Tabasco, and Tamaulipas, are seeking exemption.
The organization told the Mexican news agency Notimex that other states would soon be added to the list.
Previous LifeSiteNews Coverage:
Mexico Succumbs to International Pressure to Provide Abortions in Public Hospitals
Amnesty International Demands that Mexico Force Doctors to Do Abortions
Alberta College of Physicians Approves “in Principle” the Denial of Doctors’ Conscience Rights
By Patrick B. Craine
EDMONTON, Alberta, June 5, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) held a Council meeting on Friday where they “approved in principle” their new Standards of Practice. This document includes a controversial section that would require physicians who disagree with abortion and contraception to make referrals. These Standards would replace the existing policies and guidelines of the College; but before giving final approval, the Council is seeking legal advice.
The relevant portion of the document, section 8 on ‘Termination of Pregnancy and Birth Control’, would require physicians who disagree with abortion and contraception to ensure that patients who are interested obtain information about these “options,” and to ensure that they have access to them.
The section states: “Even if a physician’s religious or personal convictions prevent the physician from advising or offering care regarding birth control or termination of a pregnancy, the physician must ensure that the patient who seeks such advice or medical care is offered access to information and assistance in making an informed decision and access to available medical options.”
In response to these Standards, the Protection of Conscience Project, a non-denominational, non-profit organization that works for conscience legislation, challenged the CPSA with a submission in October 2008. “To demand that physicians provide or assist in the provision of procedures or services that they believe to be wrong,” states the submission, “is to treat them as means to an end and deprive them of their ‘essential humanity.’”
“While a patient’s reasonable request for a referral should normally be honoured,” says the Project later in the document, “it is not reasonable to demand a referral to other health care professionals for procedures or services the physician believes to be wrong. A physician’s refusal to do so should not be considered a breach of the Standards.”
“The requirement that a physician ‘ensure that the patient ... is offered access to available medical options’ is likely to be interpreted to impose a duty to refer for or otherwise facilitate procedures or services the physician believes to be wrong. Many objecting physicians would find this unacceptable.”
The conscience rights of health practitioners have been a major issue in North America recently. On his way out of office in January, President Bush enacted regulations ensuring that existing conscience protections were enforced; but President Obama has begun the process of repealing those regulations.
The changes in Alberta’s Standards happened after similar changes were proposed in Ontario’s code of conduct for physicians. The most controversial language was removed in Ontario’s case, however, although the Protection of Conscience Project still had concerns about the revised language.
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Alberta Considers Denying Physician Conscience Rights
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09031607.html
Ontario Physicians College Backs Away from Controversial Conscience-Restriction Policy
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/sep/08091809.html
Congressmen Challenge Obama to Follow Through on Notre Dame Statement, Stop Efforts to Repeal Conscience Regulation
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/may/09052005.html"
