DFL LAUNCHES COVID-19 WHATSAPP HELPLINE

Doctors For Life International has launched a WhatsApp Helpline for all South Africans seeking more information on the COVID-19. Calls to this number are also welcome.

COVID-19 Helpline at (+27) 72 149 7819

WMA DECLARATION ON EUTHANASIA AND PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE

Adopted by the 70th WMA General Assembly, Tbilisi, Georgia, October 2019

The WMA reiterates its strong commitment to the principles of medical ethics and that utmost respect has to be maintained for human life. Therefore, the WMA is firmly opposed to euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.

For the purpose of this declaration, euthanasia is defined as a physician deliberately administering a lethal substance or carrying out an intervention to cause the death of a patient with decision-making capacity at the patient’s own voluntary request. Physician-assisted suicide refers to cases in which, at the voluntary request of a patient with decision-making capacity, a physician deliberately enables a patient to end his or her own life by prescribing or providing medical substances with the intent to bring about death.

No physician should be forced to participate in euthanasia or assisted suicide, nor should any physician be obliged to make referral decisions to this end.

Separately, the physician who respects the basic right of the patient to decline medical treatment does not act unethically in forgoing or withholding unwanted care, even if respecting such a wish results in the death of the patient.

WMA DECLARATION ON EUTHANASIA

DR DE VOS HPCSA HEARING UPDATE

The HPCSA prosecutor confirmed that hearing will proceed on *28, 29 and 30 October 2019* at the Southern Sun Hotel, Newlands. Dr de Vos’ legal team will apply to the six-member disciplinary committee to strike the matter permanently from the roll. The hearing starts at *10h00* and is open to the public to attend.

Despite best effort of Dr de Vos’ legal team to obtain the prescribed documents needed for a fair hearing, the HPCSA has not provided it since 2017.  Dr de Vos (who is member of DFL) has been barred (without a hearing) from practising medicine since July 2017 on allegations that he advised a woman that her unborn child is a human being. He was then charged for unprofessional conduct by the HPCSA but the hearing has been delayed on a number of occasions by the HPCSA.

For more information, please contact Doctors For Life International at 032 481 5550 or [email protected]
(Issued by Doctors For Life International)