President of the medical profession on euthanasia Yvonne Gilli: "Assisted suicide is not a genuine medical task"
The President of the Professional Association of Swiss Doctors has spoken out on the subject of assisted suicide. Doctors should play a central role in assisted suicide, says Yvonne Gilli.
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- Doctors should play a central role in assisted suicide in order to protect human dignity, says Yvonne Gilli, President of the Professional Association of Swiss Doctors, in an interview.
- In view of the liberal Swiss system, she urged caution in order to prevent abuse.
- She takes a critical view of a possible opening for healthy people who are tired of life.
- Gilli does not rule out the possibility that Swiss doctors could come under pressure to provide assisted suicide
Doctors should play a central role in assisted suicide in order to protect human dignity, says Yvonne Gilli in an interview with the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung". In view of the liberal Swiss system, she urged caution in order to prevent abuse. She takes a critical view of a possible opening for healthy people who are tired of life. "In the past, death had to be imminent if someone wanted assisted suicide, but today we use suffering as the decisive criterion," she continued.
When asked whether she feared that Swiss doctors could come under pressure to provide assisted suicide, Gilli replied that she did not rule out a social development in this direction.
However, every doctor must have the right to say no when it comes to medical convictions. "It is clear to me that assisted suicide is not a genuinely medical task, even if I value those doctors who are prepared to do so," the president of the professional association is quoted as saying.
Ongoing proceedings regarding the use of suicide capsules
The discussion about euthanasia has recently been reignited by the use of the Sarco suicide capsule in Merishausen SH. According to the euthanasia organization "The Last Resort", a 64-year-old American woman took her own life in the capsule. She had been suffering from the consequences of an immune deficiency for many years. Sarco worked as planned and brought the woman a drug-free death.
Suicidal thoughts? You can find help here:
- These services are available around the clock for people in suicidal crises and for those around them.
- Dargebotene Hand counseling hotline: Telephone number 143 or www.143.ch
- Pro Juventute counseling hotline (for children and young people): Telephone number 147 or www.147.ch
- Further addresses and information: www.reden-kann-retten.ch
- Addresses for people who have lost someone to suicide:
Refugium: Association for bereaved people after suicide
Nebelmeer: Perspectives after the suicide of a parent
At exactly the same time as Sarco was first used in the Merishausen forest, Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (SP) said during question time in parliament that the suicide capsule was not legally compliant.
Several people associated with the organization "The Last Resort" were temporarily arrested. The public prosecutor's office initiated proceedings against them for incitement and aiding and abetting suicide.
SDA