ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson, Carmel Cacopardo stated that “as we follow the discussion in Parliament on the proposals to improve accessibility to IVF, one must keep in mind that in our country ethical pluralism is a fact. While all sides to the discussion should be considered, ethical pluralism means that in a democracy there is no one absolute set of ethical and moral values that dominate over the others. Society itself should ultimately decide how and under what rules technology – in this case medical technology – is used. Access to assisted reproduction should respect and cater for the aspirations of as wide a spectrum of people as possible.”
“Regulatory agencies led by professionals should strive to facilitate access to those who require such medical services, while guarding against abuse. Enabling access means offering practical solutions to those who, for medical reasons, require assisted reproduction. Such services ultimately are there to offer a better quality of life to those who are already suffering physically and psychologically because of their situation, and should also ensure a good quality of life to those yet to be born with the aid of such technologies.”
ADPD – The Green Party Secretary General Ralph Cassar said any discussion about health issues should have as its aim the strengthening of the European and Maltese tradition of a strong public health service, rather than the model of a for-profit industry such as that in the United States. This should ensure that decisions on treatment follow an ethical compass that offers medical solutions to real and serious problems based on empathy and the real needs of people. At the same time the dignity of persons with a disability should be safeguarded. The two can co-exist.
“One must point out that Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is used by a very small number of persons who are at risk of transferring serious genetic conditions to their children. This can have a devastating impact on their children. These people have the right to choose not to pass on this suffering to their offspring.
One must ask how ethical is it for a medical professional to deliberately implant embryos that have a great chance of harbouring devastating genetic conditions? PGD for medical reasons, reduces suffering in a tangible manner, and improves considerably the quality of life to those born with the assistance of this technology. It is therefore, in our opinion, a proportional and ethically acceptable measure. While for conservative sections of society PGD for medical reasons may not be seen as acceptable, neither is the alternative ethically acceptable – that is the implantation of cells that will develop and lead to great suffering to a human being in future. It is a well known fact that not all embryos formed naturally lead to pregnancy.”
In conclusion, Carmel Cacopardo appealed that discussions about difficult ethical decisions should continue, always in respect of others’ view points, while acknowledging that ethical pluralism is here to stay. “All arguments, even those brought forward by conservative elements in our society should be discussed, because new technologies will always bring with them new ethical challenges. But at the end of the day it is normal that a mature modern society accepts ethical pluralism .”
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Il-pluraliżmu etiku f’Malta hu realtà
“Aħna u niddiskutu l-proposti preżentement quddiem il-Parlament dwar titjib fl-aċċess għall-IVF irridu inżommu quddiem għajnejna li fil-pajjiż jirrenja l-pluraliżmu etiku. Filwaqt li kull argument għandu jiġi diskuss, dan il-pluraliżmu għandu jfisser li f’soċjetà demokratika m’hemmx moralità waħda assoluta li tiżboq lill-oħrajn. Hija s-soċjetà nnifisha li fl-aħħar mill-aħħar tiddeċiedi kif u f’liema limiti għandha tintuża t-teknoloġija – f’dal-każ dik medika. Is-soċjetà għandha tħares lejn soluzzjonijiet li jirrispettaw u jaqdu aspettattivi għal firxa kemm jista’ jkun wiesgħa tas-soċjetà.” Dan qalu ċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party, Carmel Cacopardo, fil-kuntest tad-diskussjoni fil-Parlament dwar l-emendi għall-liġi dwar ir-riproduzzjoni assistita.
“Dan għandu jsir bi strutturi regolatorji serji tal-istat, li filwaqt jiffaċilitaw l-aċċess lil min jeħtieġu jkunu iebsa kontra kull abbuż. Iffaċilitar ta’ aċċess għandu joffri soluzzjonijiet fattibbli lil min jagħmel użu, għall-bżonn mediku, kif ukoll biex titjieb l-kwalità tal-ħajja tal-persuni, kemm dawk li diġà għaddejjin minn tbatija, fiżika kif ukoll mentali, u anke dawk li għad iridu jitwieldu.”
Is-Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD – The Green Party, Ralph Cassar qal li hu importanti li kull diskussjoni dwar is-saħħa tirrinforza t-tradizzjoni Ewropea u Maltija ta’ servizz tas-saħħa, li b’mod ġenerali huwa ta’ servizz pubbliku u soċjali, u mhux industrija ta’ profitti għas-skapitu ta’ kollox, bħal per eżempju dik tal-Istati Uniti. Din it-tradizzjoni għandha tiżgura deċiżjonijiet u kumpass etiku li joffru soluzzjonijiet mediċi għal problemi reali u serji, ibbażati fuq l-empatija. Huwa wkoll importanti li nissalvagwardjaw kontra attitudnijiet li jwasslu għal dinjità inqas għal persuni b’diżabilità. Waħda ma tmurx kontra l-oħra.
“Il-fatt huwa li Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) huwa użat għal persentaġġ żgħir ħafna ta’ persuni li huma f’riskju li ġenetikament jgħaddu mard serju u devastanti lil uliedhom. Dawn in-nies ukoll għandhom id-dritt jiddeċiedu li jagħmlu għażla li biha jkun possibli li ma jgħaddux it-tbatija ta’ mard serju lil uliedhom.
Kemm hija etikament aċċettabbli li l-professjonist mediku b’mod konxju jimpjanta embrijuni li x’aktarx iġorru mard ġenetiku devastanti? Il-PGD għal raġunijiet mediċi, li jiżgura trabi mingħajr mard ġenetiku serju, li jnaqqas b’mod tanġibbli t-tbatija, u jtejjeb il-kwalità tal-ħajja bil-bosta huwa għaldaqstant etikament aċċettabbli. Jekk il-PGD għal raġunijiet mediċi hija skomda għal parti mis-soċjetà aktar konservattiva, l-alternattiva għal din hija wkoll etikament skomda, jiġifieri li tagħżel li timpjanta ċelloli li jiżviluppaw u jwasslu għal tbatija kbira għal xi ħadd fil-futur. Anke fin-natura mhux l-embrijuni kollha jaslu għal tqala vijabbli.”
Carmel Cacopardo għalaq billi appella biex diskussjoni dwar deċiżjonijiet diffiċli etiċi għandhom jibqgħu, anzi jiżdiedu, basta jsiru b’rispett u billi kulħadd jagħraf li l-pluraliżmu etiku qiegħed u se jibqa’ magħna. “L-argumenti ta’ sezzjonijiet konservattivi tas-soċjetà huma ukoll argumenti li wieħed għandu jiddiskuti, għax teknoloġiji ġodda dejjem iġibu sfidi etiċi magħhom. Imma fl-aħħar mill-aħħar il-pluraliżmu etiku huwa magħna u se jibqa’ magħna, fatt li għandu jaċċettah kulħadd. Dan huwa normali f’soċjetà moderna u matura.”