Repression of Conscience in Health Care
RCOG faculty bars prolife doctors from receiving its degrees and
diplomas
(United Kingdom: 2014)
- Dr. Peter Saunders*
|
Doctors and nurses who have a moral objection to prescribing
'contraceptives' which act by killing human embryos are to be barred
from receiving diplomas in sexual and reproductive health even if they
undertake the necessary training according to new guidelines. . .
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Swedish nurse takes a stand on conscience rights
If soldiers can object to using weapons, why can't health professionals
refuse to assist at abortions?
(Sweden: 2013)
- Mariola O'Brien | . . .Out of the 47 member states in the European Council, Finland and
Sweden are the only two which do not uphold freedom of conscience in
practice. Ellinor Grimmark, 37, is the first midwife in Sweden to
report a hospital to the Discrimination Ombudsman (DO) concerning abortion.
. . Newly-graduated, she was fired from her position last
summer because she refused to assist abortions. . .
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Sweden has it all - except freedom of conscience
Carolyn Moynihan | Because of its welfare
state and gender equity policies Sweden has become a beacon of
progressiveness in everything that affects women. But there is one
kind of woman the Scandinavian state seems to have no time for: a
health professional who objects to abortion.
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Swedish midwife opposed to abortion appeals to
European Court of Human Rights
Michael Cook*
| Swedish midwife Ellinor Grimmark has decided to appeal to
the European Court of Human Rights over Sweden's hard line on
conscientious objection. The Swedish Appeals Court decided earlier this
month that the government can force medical
professionals to perform and cooperate in abortions,
or else be forced out of their profession. Because
the ruling in Grimmark v. Landstinget i
Jönköpings Län appears to contradict
international law protecting conscientious
objection, Grimmark wants to appeal to Strasbourg.
. . .
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Midwife fired for refusing to assist in abortion
Lost
her job in the Knin hospital: "They fired me because I would not participate in
abortions"
Hrvatski Ponos (Croatian Pride) Hospital, Knin,
Croatia (14 June, 2013)
- Slobodna Dalmacija | Doctors and nurses in Croatia may call upon conscientious objection in
situations when their religious beliefs prevent them from participating in
medical procedures contrary to the postulates of their faith. One such
situation is the deliberate termination of a pregnancy.
The conscientious objector, however, cannot be a midwife, at least not at the
general hospital "Hrvatski Ponos (Croatian Pride)" in Knin because, like
Jaga Stojak, they could lose their job. . .
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ECLJ to the Council of Europe:
Spain violates conscientious freedom of
medical practitioners
(Spain: July, 2011)
- ECJL | . . .In Spain, health professionals suffer structural and systemic violations
of their rights. Doctors, nurses, and other medical staff that object to
performing or assisting with abortion procedures are coerced and suffer
career-crippling sanctions or are legally prosecuted for attempting to
exercise this fundamental right, which is recognized by both European and
international law. . .
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Equality legislation used to defend
conscientious objection to abortion
(United Kingdom: 2011)
- John Smeaton*
| The two nurses . . .were employed at a
hospital for ordinary nursing duties. They were then allocated to
work once a week at an abortion clinic in the hospital. The abortion
process did not involve surgical abortion but the increasingly
common process of "early medical abortion" . . .When they became
aware that they were participating in abortion they told their
management that they did not want to continue but were then told
that they had no choice in the matter. . .
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Nurses who refused to assist in abortion disciplined
(New York, USA: 2010)
- Pete Sheehan | Eight nurses who refused to
participate in an abortion at Nassau University Medical Center here
March 31 are resisting disciplinary action levied on them by
hospital officials. . .
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Illinois HB2354 to nullify Health Care Right of Conscience Act
(Illinois, USA: 2009-2010)
- Sean Murphy*
| Illinois has a broadly worded protection of conscience law for
health care workers, one of the most comprehensive in the United
States. There seems to be no
evidence that the law has caused any problem
in the state. Perhaps for this reason, those who want to suppress freedom of conscience
have not tried torepeal or amend the
existing law. Instead, they have introduced a bill that will
effectively nullify the Health Care Right of Conscience
Act.
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Nurse forced to assist in late term abortion
Cenzon-DeCarlo v. The Mount Sinai Hospital
(New York, NY, USA: May, 2009)
- ADF | Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed suit on
behalf of Catherina Cenzon-DeCarlo, a nurse who was forced to assist in the abortion of a 22-week-old preborn child
despite her longstanding religious objections.
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Medical student charged by professor with "abandonment" for no abortion
referral
(USA: 2008)
- Freedom2Care.org
| Brief examples that demonstrate the often subtle, sometimes flagrant and
increasingly pervasive discrimination faced by pro-life, faith-based and
conscience-driven individuals in the healthcare professions.
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Family medicine physician forced out over contraceptives for unmarried patients
(USA: 2008)
- Freedom2Care.org
| Brief examples that demonstrate the often subtle, sometimes flagrant and
increasingly pervasive discrimination faced by pro-life, faith-based and
conscience-driven individuals in the healthcare professions.
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Medical student afraid to pursue Ob-Gyn career due to abortion pressure
(USA: 2008)
- Freedom2Care.org
| Brief examples that demonstrate the often subtle, sometimes flagrant and
increasingly pervasive discrimination faced by pro-life, faith-based and
conscience-driven individuals in the healthcare professions.
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State of Victoria, Australia demands referral, performance of abortions
Abortion Law Reform Act 2008
(Australia: October, 2008)
- Sean Murphy*
|
The Abortion Law Reform Act 2008 legalized abortion in the State of
Victoria, Australia. It demands that physicians who object to
abortion for reasons of conscience refer a woman to a colleague who has
no such objections in order to facilitate the procedure, and requires
physicians to perform abortions if necessary "to preserve the life of
the pregnant woman."
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Oxford Division Motion for British Medical Association
(United Kingdom: July, 2008)
- Sean Murphy*
|A motion considered at the annual general meeting of the British Medical
Association would have compelled physicians who object to abortion for reasons of conscience
to facilitate the procedure by referring patients to more willing
colleagues. The motion failed by a narrow margin.
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American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists continues attacks on
freedom of conscience
The
Limits of Conscientious Refusal in Reproductive Medicine
ACOG Committee on Ethics Opinion No. 385
(USA: November, 2007)
- Sean Murphy*
| . . . Perhaps recognizing that a 2005 letter had
failed to make an ethical case for mandatory referral, the ACOG Committee on
Ethics released an opinion in November, 2007 that purported to do so. The
opinion, particularly when read in conjunction with a new bulletin from the
American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG), poses a significant
threat to freedom of conscience for American physicians specializing in
obstetrics and gynaecology. . .
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Assisted suicide bills require objectors to facilitate assisted suicide
(Wisconsin, USA: April, 2007)
- Sean Murphy*
| Two assisted sucide bills lack protection of conscience clauses.
On the contrary: an objecting physician would be required to initiate
transfer the patient to a willing colleague.
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Nurse
practitioner terminated over abortion referral
(USA: 2006)
- Freedom2Care.org
| Brief examples that demonstrate the often subtle, sometimes flagrant and
increasingly pervasive discrimination faced by pro-life, faith-based and
conscience-driven individuals in the healthcare professions.
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American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists Demands Compulsory Referral for Abortion
Letter to American Senators from the President of the ACOG
(USA: August, 2005)
- Sean Murphy*
| A letter from the President of the ACOG to US Senators included a
number of statements concerning matters unrelated to freedom of
conscience, but also asked that lawmakers force conscientious objectors
to abortion to facilitate the procedure by referral. The ACOG was
unable or unwilling to explain the ethical basis for its demand.
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Philippines bill launches attack on freedom of conscience
House Bill 3773 would punish conscientious objection
with imprisonment
(Philippines: April, 2005)
- CFAM | . . .the bill requires all employers, not
excluding the Catholic Church, to provide free of charge, "reproductive
health care services and devices to the workers" [including] voluntary
sterilization [and] prohibits persons "to act from conscience"
because it threatens up to six months imprisonment for "any health care
service provider who shall . . . refuse to perform voluntary
sterilization and ligation" . . .
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Ob-Gyn intern loses privileges for refusing to perform abortions
(USA: 1989-2008)
- Freedom2Care.org
| Brief examples that demonstrate the often subtle, sometimes flagrant
and increasingly pervasive discrimination faced by pro-life, faith-based
and conscience-driven individuals in the healthcare professions.
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Draft Code of Ethics for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians
Ontario College of Pharmacists
(Ontario, Canada: March, 2005)
- Sean Murphy*| Concerned pharmacists who would have objected to
a provision in a draft code of ethics adverse to freedom of conscience were unaware that
the regulator was contemplating it and were not consulted
about it. Similarly, igroups representing the interests of religious
believers who might be adversely impacted by the recommendation were not notified
or consulted.
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Missouri Senate Bill 458 Threatens Pharmacists
(Missouri, USA: February, 2005)
- SB458 | Bill would impose a duty on objecting
pharmacists to dispense prescriptions if not accommodated by an employer.
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New Jersey Senators Attack Freedom of Conscience for Pharmacists
(New Jersey, USA: January, 2005)
- Senate No. 2178 | Bill prohibits pharmacist from
refusing to dispense medication solely for philosophical, moral or religious
reasons
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Family medicine physician deemed "too Catholic" for medical license
(USA: 2004)
- Freedom2Care.org
| Brief examples that demonstrate the often subtle, sometimes flagrant
and increasingly pervasive discrimination faced by pro-life, faith-based
and conscience-driven individuals in the healthcare professions.
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'Pro-choice' groups attack freedom
to choose
(USA: November, 2004)
- Summary |
The Abortion
Non-Discrimination Act was added by congressmen Henry Hyde and Dave Weldon as an
amendment to an omnibus spending bill, which passed the House of Representatives
in November, 2004. The amendment, which might be said to protect
freedom of choice for health care workers, was attacked by ostensibly
'pro-choice' groups. Ttheir statements are reproduced here, with
commentary by the
Project.
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Attack on freedom of conscience in US House of
Representatives
(USA, November, 2004)
- Congressional Record |
Ms. Pelosi's attack on protection for health care workers who choose not to
participate in abortion is no less extraordinary, coming, as it does, from
someone who purports to value freedom of choice.
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South African nurse denied position
(Vereeniging, South
Africa: 2004)
- Sean Murphy*
| It appears that hospital management decided to deal with the 'problem' posed
by Sister Charles by holding a meeting of theatre staff . . . The real point of the
meeting was to suppress the exercise of
Sister Charles' freedom of conscience. . . .
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Ambulance attendant fired
ACLJ Files Lawsuit Against Illinois Ambulance Service
(Elmhurst, Illinois, USA: 2004)
- ACLJ | . . .once Adamson confirmed that her
assignment was to transport the patient for an elective abortion, she
told her employer that transporting the patient to an abortion clinic
violated her religious beliefs. After a second crew was sent to
transport the patient, Adamson's supervisor immediately fired her . . .
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Should doctors be forced to abandon their faith?
(Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada: 2004)
- Terry O'Neill | . . .The male Christian student
received a failing grade after completing his hospital rotation in
obstetrics and gynecology because of differences with his teachers on
abortion and related issues, says Sean Murphy, administrator of the
Protection of Conscience Project based in Powell River, B.C. . .
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Secretary refused employment by county because of abortion stance
(USA: 2003)
- Freedom2Care.org
| Brief examples that demonstrate the often subtle, sometimes flagrant
and increasingly pervasive discrimination faced by pro-life, faith-based
and conscience-driven individuals in the healthcare professions.
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Testimony of Pharmacist Re: Wisconsin Assembly Bill 63
Before the Assembly Labour Committee
(Wisconsin, USA: 2003)
- Susan Grosskreuz, R.Ph. | Although there is an
extremely high demand for pharmacists in our state, I have had to be
very selective as to where I am willing to work because I cannot go
against my conscience. . . Although pharmacy jobs in the retail sector
were generally plentiful . . . I accepted a position at a newly created
pharmacy . . .that served only nursing home patients. . . . I actually
would have preferred working in the retail sector but I didn't feel I
had any protection if I requested to refrain from filling prescriptions
that had abortifacient potential.
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Re: Wisconsin Assembly Bill 67
Testimony before Wisconsin Senate Committee
(Wisconsin, USA: October, 2003)
- Beth LaChance, R.N. | . . . I . . . experienced an onslaught of
disciplinary reprimands, retaliation, criticism and
ostracism. . . I was no longer assigned to train or
mentor new nurses despite my credentials and
qualifications. . . .I was denied career
advancement to clinical nurse three status, as the
research project which qualified me for advancement,
was resigned to another nurse without my prior
knowledge or consent. I was grilled as a "second
class nurse" or "nobody". . .
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The Campaign to Force Hospitals to Provide Abortion USA
(USA: September, 2003)
- US Conference of Catholic Bishops | Forty-five
states and the federal government protect the right of health care
providers to decline involvement in abortion. Pro-abortion groups seek
to abolish these legal protections.
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Testimony of Pharmacist Re: Wisconsin Senate Bill 21
Before the Senate Labour Committee
(Wisconsin, USA: March, 2003)
- Yvonne Klubertanz R.Ph. |. . .The physician was
adamant that I had to fill whatever he prescribed, even though I
explained my conscience would not allow me to do that. He threatened
that my supervisor would find out about this, and I feared that my job
could be in jeopardy. I was harassed for my beliefs, and my dignity as a
person was attacked. . .
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Ob-Gyn physician reamed out over refusal to perform abortion
(USA: 1989-2008)
- Freedom2Care.org
| Brief examples that demonstrate the often subtle, sometimes flagrant
and increasingly pervasive discrimination faced by pro-life, faith-based
and conscience-driven individuals in the healthcare professions.
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Alberta Pharmacist Vindicated for Pro-Life Stand
(Calgary, Alberta, Canada: 2000-2003)
- Mike Mastromatteo | . . ."The complaints were made
after a pro-choice organization published on the Internet the name of
Bizecki and encouraged the public to make complaints to both her
employer and the college (of pharmacists)," Chipeur said. "The
complaints have caused Bizecki to incur significant legal expenses that
she is currently just beginning to pay off." . . .
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Police Used to Intimidate Objecting Pharmacist
(Menomonie,Wisconsin, USA: July, 2002)
- Neil Noesen | . . .On July 6, 2002, I made a
conscientious objection to participation in refilling a contraceptive
order and also in transferring that same contraceptive order to another
pharmacy. On July 7, 2002, two police officers accompanied the same
patient to the pharmacy but did not take any action other than
requesting my current mailing address. I again refused participation in
aiding that patient to obtain her hormonal contraceptive. . .
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Doctor's faith under scrutiny:
Barrie physician won't offer the pill, could lose his
licence
(Barrie, Ontario, Canada: 2002)
- Cheryl Canning | . . .Dr. Stephen Dawson faces a
discipline committee at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of
Ontario in April because he refused to prescribe birth control pills to
unmarried women. . .
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Traumatised Health Care Professionals
Forced to Take Part in Abortion Procedures
(South Africa: June, 2002)
- Doctors for Life | The incident at Philadelphia
Hospital again highlights the unbearable pressure exerted on healthcare
professionals to take part in the Termination of Pregnancy Act against
their conscience. The following quotes were collected from traumatized
Health Care Professionals. . .
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Do it anyway
More and more Canadian workers are being compelled to
violate their own beliefs
(Canada: 2001)
- Terry O'Neill | . . . a growing number of Canadian
workers are being discriminated against on conscience-related issues, and
the institutions that should be protecting them are turning a blind eye to
their plight. As is becoming increasingly apparent, the double standard
seems to be entirely political.
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Testimony of Wang Guoql
(China: 2001)
- Introduction | Wang Guoql was a doctor at a Chinese
People's Liberation Army Hospital who willingly participated in organ
harvesting from executed prisoners. However, after a particularly
gruesome experience he experienced a conflict of conscience and tried to
avoid further involvement in the process. His initial attempt was
rejected and he was met with various forms of pressure to continue his
participation.
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No
Equal Opportunities for Nurse With Pro-Life Views
(Oregon, USA: 2001)
- John W. Whitehead | . . .According to a federal lawsuit filed by Janice,
when the new supervisor-one intolerant of pro-life viewpoints-was
assigned to the Women's Clinic, Janice's treatment on the job began to
change. Indeed, not only were Janice's religious views no longer
accommodated, she was also harassed. . .
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Testimony from the Gynaecological-Obstetrical
Frontline
(Belgium: 2001)
- André O. Devos, MD*
| . . .Since a fair amount of their income was the result
of contraception, and surgical sterilisation, I refused to join the pool . .
. According to my conscience, I could not accept any part of that income. I
soon was dismissed, losing hospitalisation and surgical privileges. The
letter of dismissal was signed both by our Mother Superior . . . and . . . a
Reverend Cannon, who at the same time was one of the secretaries of our
Bishop. . .
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Pharmacy colleges quash conscientious objection
(Canada: 2000)
- Greg Edwards | Pharmacists are critically thinking
individuals who integrate their values into their work life-and they are
not mere robots who are glorified order-takers for physicians. We should
be promoting such thinking, not punishing it.--Nancy Metcalfe,
pharmacist. . . .
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Access to Appointments: The Effect of
Discrimination on Careers
(United Kingdom: March, 2000)
- T. Everett Julyan, MBChB BSc
* | . . .In March 2000 I was interviewed for a post on a 3 year
General Practice Vocational Training Scheme which included a 6 month
attachment in obstetrics & gynaecology. When the interview panel learned
that not only was I unwilling to perform abortions, but also to prepare
women for them I was denied a job, solely on that basis. . .
.
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Medical professor threatened with job loss over
embryocides
(USA: 1999-2001)
- Freedom2Care.org
| Brief examples that demonstrate the often subtle, sometimes flagrant
and increasingly pervasive discrimination faced by pro-life, faith-based
and conscience-driven individuals in the healthcare professions.
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