British Section of the World Federation of Doctors Who Respect Human Life

“The doctor cleared of misconduct in hastening the deaths of two terminally ill babies called yesterday for more debate on end-of-life decisions,’ The Times reported on 12 July 07. “Michael Munro emerged with his reputation untarnished after a ruling by the General Medical Council that he had not acted inappropriately and that his fitness to practise was not impaired.”

Dr. Munro, 41, had admitted injecting two premature babies with a large amount of pancuronium, with the support of the babies’ parents, who had already taken the decision to withdraw breathing tubes from them.

Dr. Mary Knowles, chair of the Doctors’ Federation’s British Section, said in a statement issued on 11 July 07:

“It is distressing to read that the General Medical Council has cleared Dr. Michael Munro of wrongdoing. It is reported that he had given large doses of muscle relaxant to two seriously ill babies ‘to allow them to die peacefully’.

“In fact , such treatment leads to slow suffocation.”