By PAUL MILLAR
A government inquiry regarded as a stepping stone to voluntary euthanasia received submissions, advice and recommendations during a sitting in Geelong this week.
The inquiry, into end-life choices, took on board comments from the medical community and submissions about restrictive legislation, including the need for laws to allow Victorians to make informed decisions about their own deaths.
The inquiry heard emotional pleas from Dying with Dignity campaign supporters, who told the hearing “there are some things worse than death” and that “not being able to die with dignity is the ultimate torture”.
Dr Peter Martin, who addressed the hearing at North Geelong’s McKellar Centre on Wednesday, said the government faced a number of legislative challenges to existing end-of-life practices among the medical community.
Parliament’s legal and social issues committee is assessing the practices, which assist patients to manage the end of their lives, including the role of palliative care.
Dr Martin, Barwon Health’s regional director of palliative care, said the authority already had an organisation-wide end-of-life strategy.
But he was concerned about a lack of clarity on patient-care workers’ administration of pain-killing drugs.
“Not all facilities have a nurse on duty at night, that’s one of the problems,” he said.
“We (also) need to look at the stress and burden on the carers of people at the end of their lives. We need to do a lot more to care for the carers.”
Community hearings are hearing submissions on palliative care, including the practices of medical practitioners during end-of-life treatment.
The inquiry is also considering existing legislation, international strategies and any potential changes to Australian laws.
