The Genocidal Healer

Blurb

The Genocidal Healer is a 1992 science fiction novel by author James White and is part of his Sector General series. Like late books in the series, it stars an alien. However the protagonist of the early Sector General stories, Dr. Conway, plays an important supporting role, as do other regular characters.
Sector General has seen its share of desperate procedures and "kill-or-cure" decisions. Senior Physician Lioren made one where the outcome was very much "kill." Now unwilling to live but not allowed to die, he has to work out what to do with himself. The Genocidal Healer is a more character-based and a much deeper work than most entries in the series, and raises the issue of religion at some length. Its deeds of healing are psychological rather than physiological – which isn't to say that it doesn't have room for a proper xenobiological mystery.
The early sector General stories focus almost entirely on medical problems, but later ones such as The Genocidal Healer also deal with deeper issues, and better than most science fiction. White said in an interview, "The Genocidal Healer is very philosophical and theological. I'm, as you know, a Catholic.