Yet another instance of Christian doctors claiming to be persecuted because they are being denied their self-arrogated “right” to impose their superstitions on their patients. If you can’t put your duties as a doctor above your imagined “duties” to your religion, you need to stop pretending to be a doctor. The last thing a desperate patient needs is to run into a decoy doctor who is really a religious zealot refusing to provide or refer for a needed, legal, medical service.
“The Christian Medical and Dental Society of Canada is throwing a tantrum over a new requirement that Ontario physicians must refer patients appropriately when they refuse to provide a health-care service they personally disagree with. On March 20, the group launched a lawsuit against the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.
The College’s new policy on “Professional Obligations and Human Rights” is really a no-brainer, as well as long overdue. The part that is peeving the Christian doctors stipulates that if doctors are “unwilling to provide certain elements of care for reasons of conscience or religion” they must make an “effective referral” — which means a timely referral made in good faith to a “non-objecting, available, and accessible physician, other health-care professional, or agency.” Further, physicians must provide “urgent care” to prevent imminent harm, even when doing so conflicts with their conscience or religious beliefs. Those violating the new policy may face discipline. The Christian doctors are dead set against all of this.”
Read more in Joyce Arthur's column on Rabble.ca