Can doctors perform executions

That said, the popular conception that doctors cannot participate in executions is simply untrue.Participation in prisoner executions might cause patients to have difficulty believing that their physicians are always acting in their best interests, explain black and dr.The challenge is to persuade all doctors that the medical role does not stretch to assisting in the killing of prisoners on behalf of the state.Nonetheless, in 1996, a group of doctors sued the state hoping for a declaration that physicians participating in such executions lose their licenses under state law.According to a 2005 article in the journal of legal medicine, 17 states require physician participation in executions.Medical professionals' organisations in the united states forbid participation in executions, says groner (p 1026 ), but most doctors are not aware of these guidelines and are willing to participate.

Doctors should not participate in executions.The consensus amongst medical ethicists is no.Physician participation is central to execution by lethal injection because medical knowledge and skills are integral to conducting the procedure effectively.North carolina is an exception, as noted above.A group of seven pharmacists, public health experts and intensive care unit doctors penned a.This technique is available in 36 of 38 states that have the death penalty.