Thursday, December 19, 2019

Waiting lists are growing for psychiatric euthanasia in the Netherlands.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

A Trouw news article by Marten van de Wier is reporting that the waiting list for psychiatric euthanasia at the euthanasia clinic in the Netherlands has grown to more than 100 people with an expected waiting time of one year.

The Trouw report indicates that fewer psychiatrists are willing to participate in psychiatric euthanasia and there are seven psychiatrists at the euthanasia clinic who received approximately 800 requests for euthaansia this year. The Trouw reported (google translated):

The waiting time for a euthanasia trajectory for psychiatric patients has increased to more than a year at the Euthanasia Expertise Center. There are now a hundred people on the waiting list. These are people who are likely to be eligible for euthanasia based on an initial assessment.

The expertise center raised the alarm two years ago about the large influx of psychiatric patients. Then the waiting time was six to nine months. This year a total of around 800 psychiatric patients reported, compared to 692 last year. Only a small group actually get euthanasia: last year 56. Doctors outside the Expertise Center provided euthanasia to psychiatric patients eleven times.
The number of psychiatric euthanasia deaths may be lower but the euthanasia clinic continues to lethally inject at least one psychiatric patient per week.

The change in attitude towards psychiatric euthanasia is likely connected to the case of a doctor who completed the death of a woman with dementia, who had requested euthanasia, but at the time of death resisted.

The doctor put a sedative in her coffee, but the woman continued to resist, so the doctor had the family hold her down while she was lethally injected.

A Netherlands court acquitted the doctor but the Dutch prosecutor asked for the case to be reviewed by the Supreme court.

Many physicians in the Netherlands have indicated that they are not sure of the requirements for psychiatric euthanasia and they now refer these patients to the euthanasia clinic.


6 comments:

Agi nurse said...

Miurder. Nothing more, nothing less.

John said...

Their choice, their life.

Agi nurse said...

John:

You are right, their choice their life.

But don’t expect someone else to take your life!
If you want out, you can do the deed.

A hospice in BC is currently being forced to provide euthanasia/MAID.

Other medical staff around Canada are being forced to be involved in
Euthanasia/MAID, and many have had to leave their jobs. Physicians and nurses
are battling to get a strong legal conscience protection, but to date they still don’t have one.
This is unacceptable!

It’s so easy for individuals like yourself to say “it’s their choice, their life”.
Perhaps if you were the one who had to administer the lethal medications to
these people you just may have a change of heart.

We have gone from providing this service to those at the end of life stage.
Now that door has widened. In fact it appears they have put in a revolving door
where just about anyone can have someone assist with their suicide if you can convince
them you are depressed enough. You can thank the Trudeau for that one. He even wants to extend
euthanasia to children (their choice their life? Do you actually think these children will be requesting
euthanasia or MAID? Their bodies, their life, but certainly NOT their choice.

Appalling. The whole thing makes me sick to my stomach.
Murdering under the guise of compassion.



John said...

Oh really? Cite all the cases or evidence where doctors and clinics are being forced to provide MAID to patients who request it voluntarily against said physicians or clinics thay disapprove of it. I haven't seen any, instead I see fundamentalist Christians harassing and threatening doctors and clinics who provide such a service. It's the exact same thing with abortion.

If someone with a severe irremediable physical or mental condition requests assisted suicide, and is deemed competent then that patient has the RIGHT to see a doctor/clinic who provide such a service. If you are opposed to PAS as a nurse, doctor, or whatever, you are not legally required to perform it. At the same time extremely paternalistic Christians who seek to make this world a living hell because they believe heaven comes after do not have the right to block such a request. Don't want to assist in such a death? Then don't. Just don't stop doctors who are willing to of their own volition.

Alex Schadenberg said...

It sounds like you really hate people of faith John.

Did someone in your life hurt you? If so, I am sorry but the fact is that people who oppose euthanasia are being pressured to participate.
The conscience rights issue is central to the debate.

John said...

Provide such evidence. And the issue is people forcing their religious beliefs onto others.