Should dignified death be allowed?

© Agata GÅadykowska – 123RF.com

Speakers include Professor Willem Landman, Dignity South Africa: Perspectives from Dignity South Africa; Dr Jabu Makhanya, Chief Nursing Officer at the National: Nurses' perspectives; Professor Dan Ncayiyana, Department of Health and Past-editor of SAMJ talking on the clinicians' perspectives. As well as Dr Liz Gwyther, CEO of Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa discussing palliative care perspectives; and Professor David McQuoid-Mason, Professor of Law at the University of KwaZulu-Natal assessing the legal situation.

Date: Thursday, 14 May 2015
Time: 5pm for 6pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre 1, 5th Floor, Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg
RSVP to +27 (0)11 717 2190 or az.ca.stiw@scihteoibrofertnecokibevets.stneve

This talk follows the Pretoria High Court judgement two weeks ago in which a patient was granted the right to be assisted by a willing and qualified medical practitioner to end his life.

"Healthcare practitioners have obligations to patients in the palliative care setting and these duties extend to that of advocating for access to quality palliative care for patients who are terminally ill. This seminar will start the journey on assessing the situation and asking the question 'Can the right to die in law be supported when the value of palliative care has not been adequately explored?'," says Professor Ames Dhai, Director of the Steve Biko Centre for Bioethics.