EDITOR,It was interesting to read the paper of Kelly and Foley, The
price of life(BMJ 2007; 335: 938). After finishing Baghdad Medical School
in 1971, Iraq, we spent one year in a rotational scheme as an SHO in General
Hospitals in Baghdad. During that year we had 2 weeks' work in Abu
-Ghraib prison in Baghdad. We were two doctors at that time, and if there was
an execution we had to attend. I remember attending the execution of
somebody during the two weeks of my attachment. I must admit it was a very
trumatic experience. At that time my views that there ought to be an
International movement to abolish capital punishment. The execution in
Iraq is by hanging. But how about the ethical issues related to giving lethal
drugs by doctors to kill somebody? Is that the job of the medical profession?
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests:
No competing interests
08 November 2007
AK Al-Sheikhli
Consultant psychiatrist
Gambier House,West Hill Road,St Leonards on Sea,TN38 0N Sea,TN380NG
Rapid Response:
UN ought to move against capital punishment
EDITOR,It was interesting to read the paper of Kelly and Foley, The
price of life(BMJ 2007; 335: 938). After finishing Baghdad Medical School
in 1971, Iraq, we spent one year in a rotational scheme as an SHO in General
Hospitals in Baghdad. During that year we had 2 weeks' work in Abu
-Ghraib prison in Baghdad. We were two doctors at that time, and if there was
an execution we had to attend. I remember attending the execution of
somebody during the two weeks of my attachment. I must admit it was a very
trumatic experience. At that time my views that there ought to be an
International movement to abolish capital punishment. The execution in
Iraq is by hanging. But how about the ethical issues related to giving lethal
drugs by doctors to kill somebody? Is that the job of the medical profession?
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests