A year after D.C. passed its controversial assisted suicide law, not a single patient has used it

Source: The Washington Post

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Mary Klein, center, speaks at a news conference to urge city officials to educate doctors about the city’s “Death with Dignity” law and to ease barriers for doctors to sign up. Klein, a 70-year-old former journalist with ovarian cancer, advocated for a city law to allow doctors to prescribe fatal medication to terminally ill patients, but just two doctors have registered nearly a year into implementation and no patient has used the law. (Fenit Nirappil/The Washington Post)
 April 10 at 1:15 PM 
Nearly a year after the District enacted a law allowing terminally ill patients to end their lives — over the objections of congressional Republicans, religious groups and advocates for those with disabilities — not a single patient has used it.

And just two of the approximately 11,000 physicians licensed to practice in the District have registered to help patients exercise their rights under the law. Only one hospital has cleared doctors to participate.

Mary Klein, a D.C. resident in the final stages of cancer who became the public face of the movement, says she hasn’t been able to find a willing doctor.

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