As if Jack Kevorkian didn't have enough dissenters, enter Dr. Sanjay Gupta and his Web site.
In response to the so-called Dr. Death's presence in his Detroit community, the medical resident at Henry Ford Hospital's Pain Management Clinic in Detroit is fighting back with a Web site filled with words of opposition to physician-assisted suicides and missives of hope to those considering it.
Dr. Gupta told Healthcare PR & Marketing News recently that he works to help his patients look for "hope and life" while learning to live with life-crippling diseases. His 6-month-old Web site offers alternative help and medical advice to patients considering physician-assisted suicide. The Stop Assisted Suicide (SAS) site contains stories about disease survivors and information about where to get help but it is offered with genuine sincerity.
Gupta's efforts in cyberspace underscore the communications prowess of the relatively nascent information superhighway. Had Gupta merely issued press releases about his stance on physician-assisted suicide it's unlikely he would have garnered the attention he's gotten so far.
Thanks to his site and some recent local publicity, Gupta has become an unofficial spokesperson for the SAS movement. For example, he has been asked to address the state legislature and has been requested for interviews with television show 60 Minutes.
"I think life deserves much more thought and effort," Gupta said. "People should not give up. Pain management has made tremendous strides. People can and do live with pain, and they can be happy and productive."
"When a body is able to sustain itself, then it doesn't make much sense to terminate it prematurely," Gupta said.
Gupta hopes to offer people advice on pain management and get them hooked up with support groups to steer them clear of Jack Kevorkian.
Patient advocacy leaders are thrilled.
"I really would like to see a concerted effort against assisted suicide," agreed Pat McDonald, executive director of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Michigan. "There are agencies that are opposed to physician-assisted suicide for various reasons, but nothing is organized yet."
McDonald said that using the Web is especially helpful because many patients have access to it.
Gupta said other workers at Henry Ford Hospital are pitching in to help him reach out to disabled groups, but so far, the site is a few paragraphs of text and Gupta's e-mail address.
To visit Stop Assisted Suicide Movement, set your Web browser to http://www.cris.com/Jgupta. Dr. Gupta may be reached through e-mail at [email protected]