Walter Hogarth

Please remove the "effective referral" portion from this policy. Referring is done if a physician thinks something will be in the patient's best interests. It is akin to participating in the act. For the majority of physicians who will not participate in providing MAID, a referral forces them to act against their conscience. This is not simply a preference, but a deeply held moral conviction. Our current system allows a patient to find a MAID provider without their objecting physician being forced to be involved. It respects the mutual freedoms of both parties. Let's keep it that way. I see activists campaigning to make the "effective referral" piece mandatory for all physicians, and pushing for censure of any objectors. This is not how a free, respectful society works. Nor will it build trust in the medical system by vulnerable patients.

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