SELECT (A PART OF) THE TEXT AND IT WILL BE READ OUT LOUD

Introduction

A physician is unable to determine whether the person concerned is suffering unbearably, either physically or psychiatrically  or psychologically, or whether the patient considers a (medical) solution other than euthanasia to be reasonable or not. There are no objective criteria. The requirement to determine the unbearable suffering and reasonableness is an impossible, and therefore unethical, assignment from the legislator to the physician. Only the patient can determine these. Therefore the physician does not judge any of the due care requirements in the  Proposal End-of-Life Management Act, because self-determination prevails. For reasons of due care (possible complications), the End-of-Life Counselor engages a volunteer physician. The volunteer physician with his medical expertise provides for the merciful practical implementation of the euthanatic. Only the physician is authorized to collect the euthanatic from the pharmacy.

Important reasons for the physician to voluntarily take on the task of performing euthanasia in the Proposal End-of-Life Management Act

Regarding the patient:

  1. Respect for the patient’s autonomy.
  2. Possibility to fulfill the duty of mercy.
  3. No suffering from (possibly too long) terminal palliative sedation.
  4. No overtreatment.
  5. The patient’s and the immediate family’s own control over the final phase of dying.
  6. Medically careful execution of the euthanasia.

Regarding the physician’s own positioning:

  1. Abolition of the unethical requirements for the physician to have to assess the unbearable, hopeless and reasonableness of a solution other than euthanasia.
  2. Abolition of all Regional Euthanasia Review Committee involvement (the End-of-Life Counselor must justify his actions by means of a report to the Institute for End-of-Life Guidance. The Institute will report malpractice to the Public Prosecution Service).
  3. Elimination of the fear of persecution of the physician by the Public Prosecution Service (the End-of-Life Counselor has the final responsibility).