Euthanasia celebrated its 10th anniversary
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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10 years ago, Belgium and the Netherlands were the first countries in the world to allow euthanasia. Today, with the help of doctors in these countries, up to 4,000 people a year go to another world.
Over the past time, the laws have remained the same, but public opinion has changed, like the attitude of doctors to the interpretation of the law.
Deadening by special injection is allowed in the Netherlands for patients who are mentally full, but whose suffering has become "unbearable and endless" due to an incurable disease. At first it seemed a vague formulation, but over time it becomes clearer and clearer, says Eric van Veilik of the Royal Dutch Society of Physicians.
Last year, euthanasia was first given to a patient with Alzheimer's disease. In 2002, no one would have thought of such a thing, says Valburg de Jong of Right-to-Die NL.
The vast majority of the 3,136 patients assisted in the Netherlands in 2010 were at the last stage of cancer. About 80% chose to die at home. Therefore, in the country just six months ago six mobile teams were created, which appear in the room of the sentenced person in the event that the local doctor refuses to commit the murder. Their services have been used 100 times already.
Some people criticize this recent practice, because euthanasia should be considered as the last resort. And not every seriously ill patient, who decided to die, should unconditionally grant this right. Perhaps if the district police refuses, does he have any considerations on this matter?
The Netherlands introduced the relevant law in April 2002, Belgium followed this example a few months later. The legalization of euthanasia was preceded by a lengthy discussion between Christians and devotees of secular humanism. To this day, the attitude toward this type of suicide remains ambiguous. Nevertheless, in 2011, 1,133 people - 1% of all deaths - died in this way. The overwhelming majority - 81% - Flemish. Probably, cultural affinity to the Dutch affects.
They say that in families that are preparing for the euthanasia of their relatives, there appeared original farewell rituals - including, for example, the last dinner. Something similar was practiced by the Roman patricians, to whom Caesar wrote the death sentence. They opened the veins at a feast in the presence of friends, without stopping philosophical conversations and reading poetry.
Although most countries to this day reject euthanasia, in many of them there are, so to speak, mild forms of legalized murder, when, for example, a patient has the right to refuse medical assistance.