abandonment Archives - Protection of Conscience Project Library

John B Shea

Canadian Medical Association Journal, CMAJ — Canadian Medical Association Journal

Extract
The CMA has the audacity to “place responsibility” on the physician who acts in accordance with his intelligence and informed conscientious judgement in the matter. It is not true to state that a physician abandons a patient if he informs her that his moral principles preclude his becoming involved in referring her for an abortion. No patient has the right to anything other than what a physician can in his conscience do. To ask for more is to ask for his cooperation in performing an act that he deems an act of killing an innocent human being. The CMA, in supporting this type of request, is bringing pressure to bear on the physician to cooperate. By including it in the code of ethics the CMA has also put the physician who does not publicly object in the position of appearing to agree with the CMA. His intellectual and moral integrity are challenged by this action. . . .If the government were to make abortion on demand legal, I have no doubt the CMA would make another change in the code that would “place responsibility” on the physician to cooperate in this also. I find it intolerable that the CMA is telling me I may not follow my conscience in this most serious matter.

Shea JB. (Correspondence) The Code of ethics: abortion referral. Can Med Assoc J. 1978 Apr 22;118(8):890.

RG Wilson(CMA Secretary General)

Extract
.. . . the wording in the pertinent paragraph of the code of ethics represents an amendment to the recommendation of the committee on ethics, moved from the floor of General Council and subsequently passed. In discussing this paragraph the mover of the motion stated that the medical profession must stand by its ethics and, in so doing, has a responsibility to patients, who should not be abandoned in any regard. He went on to state that the medical profession is based on compassion and help and that every physician has a responsibility to a patient, even when he does not agree with a particular form of therapy. . . In suggesting changes in the code of ethics the CMA’s committee on ethics attempted to underline the right of the patient to have other opinions, and the responsibility of the physician to indicate to the patient that she has that right. General Council, in its wisdom, strengthened the recommendation and indicated that, in its view, the physician has a broader responsibility not to abandon the patient or impede her from obtaining help from other sources of assistance.

Wilson RG. (Correspondence) The Code of ethics: abortion referral. Can Med Assoc J. 1978 Apr 22;118(8):895-896.