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Floating Death Clinic Hits Stormy Water In Australia SYDNEY (AFP) - Proposals for a floating death clinic in international waters off the Australian coast were attacked by politicians while a key medical association distanced itself from the idea. Australia's "Dr Death", Philip Nitschke, is seeking legal advice on bypassing national law by performing euthanasia on a ship anchored outside the 200 miles international shipping limit. The waters off Tasmania and Queensland state are two areas under consideration. Tasmanian and Queensland politicians rejected the plans and urged the federal government to do something about it. "I think we will need to see what jurisdiction it falls under," said Queensland Health Minister Wendy Edmond. "Obviously if it is under federal jurisdiction I will be calling on my Commonwealth counterparts to take action if it is off the coast of Queensland. If it is international jurisdiction it may be more difficult. We will have to see what that involves but I would have to say that I really think it sounds like a wild impractical scheme which won't last." Tasmanian Liberal member David Fry also voiced concern. "I'm not sure whether the Tasmanian government can do anything about it and we're calling on the federal government to try and intervene to be able to do something to stop people being led to their deaths," he said If a legal loophole and financial backing were found, it would be the first ship-delivered euthanasia service in the world. Nitschke said demand would be great, as around 200 people had contacted him seeking assistance for their suicides in the past 18 months. However, the Queensland branch of the Australian Medical Association said it wanted nothing to do with the proposal, saying Nitschke was going too far. "It does seem extraordinary to be removing them from their homes, from their loved ones and taking them, if you like, to some island out in the sea to actually arrange their death," said president Beres Wenck. Voluntary euthanasia groups though welcomed the idea. "I don't think it's any more unthinkable than people who are being put through unwanted medical trespass, unwanted prolongation of medical suffering," said Voluntary Euthanasia Society of Tasmania spokeswoman Norma Jamieson. The West Australian Voluntary Euthanasia Society expressed in-principle support, but said it doubted, at this stage, the practicality of such a project. "I'll be faxing him today for details, and I will be expressing support in principle, but I have my doubts about the practicality at the moment," said president Alex Walker. He said getting the floating clinic out to sea would be costly, and terminally ill patients would not like having to take such a trip. Nitschke is in London to display his "Death Machine" at the Science Museum. Consisting of a computer, a case, a syringe and tubes, the machine was originally used in Darwin in 1996 by Bob Dent, the first man in the world to die under legally sanctioned euthanasia following the introduction of legislation in the Northern Territory. Under the law, two doctors had to confirm a patient was terminally ill and suffering unbearable pain before life could be ended. A psychiatrist had to confirm the patient was not suffering from treatable clinical depression. Three others took advantage of the law before it was overridden in a conscience vote by Australia's upper house, the Senate
Newswires |
