Exit International | Dr Philip Nitschke comes to rescue on Qantas flight

June 10, 2015

Dr Philip Nitschke comes to rescue on Qantas flight

Euthanasia campaigner and suspended doctor Philip Nitschke provided medical assistance to a critically ill man on a trans-Pacific flight to Sydney on Tuesday morning.

Qantas staff aboard QF12 from Los Angeles approached Dr Nitschke directly when the condition of the 37-year-old man – who was suffering terminal cancer – began to worsen, Dr Nitschke told Fairfax Media.

Using the on-board emergency kit, he provided basic medical care for the remaining two hours of the 15-hour flight, including taking the man’s pulse, blood pressure and other vital signs.

“I pointed out to them that I’m suspended, that I’m deemed to be a danger to the Australian public,” Dr Nitschke said.

“They didn’t see that to be a particular impediment. There’s some irony to the way the medical board’s assessment doesn’t ultimately make much difference.”

Dr Nitschke has long been at odds with the medical establishment for his advocacy of euthanasia, which has earned him the nickname “doctor death”. The Medical Board of Australia suspended his licence last year after he admitted supporting Perth man Nigel Brayley in his bid to end his life despite not being terminally ill.

But Australian states and territories provide legal protection for so-called “good Samaritans” – which includes all members of the public – who come to the aid of an injured or at-risk person. In NSW, the Civil Liability Act of 2002 protects anybody who acts “in good faith”, unless they are affected by drugs or alcohol.

As the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners explains in a note: “The purpose of the legislation is to encourage people, particularly health care professionals, to assist strangers in need without the fear of legal repercussions from an error in treatment.”

The RACGP notes that in-flight medical incidents occur for about one in every 11,000 passengers, though most of those are handled by cabin crew. A number of airlines have taken out insurance for doctors who provide assistance when a call for help is made.

Dr Nitschke said the man on board QF12 was in the late stages of cancer and initially “there was some question about whether he was going to make the duration of the flight”. But the man remained stable until arrival in Sydney, at which point Dr Nitschke accompanied him to Royal North Shore Hospital.

The suspended doctor was in the Sydney suburb of Chatswood on Tuesday, facilitating a workshop on voluntary euthanasia. He is fighting his licence suspension in the Northern Territory Supreme Court, which is expected to hand down its decision at any time. But the medical board had also produced fresh evidence against him, Dr Nitschke said.

Johannes Klabbers, who works with Dr Nitschke as national director of Exit International in Australia, told Fairfax Media that “everyone was very pleased” with the doctor’s assistance and his decision to accompany the patient to hospital.

“He was able to comfort the wife and stay with the patient while he was getting medical attention,” Dr Klabbers said.

Qantas confirmed to the ABC there had been a medical incident on board QF12 but declined to give further details.