swiss hospital to allow suicide

[iblis]

article located here.

A hospital in Switzerland says it will allow assisted suicide on its premises for terminally ill patients.

A spokesman for the university hospital in Lausanne said the decision was taken after a long reflection.

He added that the conditions for permitting an assisted suicide remained very strict.

The practice is legal in Switzerland, but only for patients who are mentally competent and suffering from an incurable disease.

From the start of next year terminally ill patients in Lausanne's main hospital will be allowed to take their own lives on hospital premises, as long as they are of sound mind, are already too ill to return home, and have expressed a persistent wish to die.

Until now, hospitals across Switzerland had refused to allow assisted suicide on site and had denied access to the Swiss voluntary euthanasia society, Exit.

This meant that patients wishing to die by assisted suicide had to leave hospital to do so.

The new ruling will give patients access to an external doctor or to a member of Exit.

Children's Minister Beverley Hughes said the curriculum would indeed be flexible and "age specific".

Hospital staff can choose whether or not they wish to attend the death.

Senior doctors at Lausanne's hospital say the decision was taken after almost three years of consideration and reflects the position of the Swiss Medical Association and the National Committee on Ethics.

Both bodies say that in order to respect the wishes and independence of patients assisted suicide should be permitted in exceptional cases, but that it should never become a routine procedure.

[Hardcoregirl]

Yeah, it should be allowed in cases of terminal illness I think. Why drag out someone's suffering? I would have much rather seen my grandpa go easily then for the month or so he slowly withered away to lung cancer...in the end so weak I had to help him sit up to drink water, so out of it on morphine he'd call out for his long diseased mother...

Same with my uncle who died from Hep c. Let people go with some dignity...

[Mercurygriffin]

Yeah, it should be allowed in cases of terminal illness I think. Why drag out someone's suffering? .... Let people go with some dignity...

Agreed!

[Coor]

Dignity is exactly my view on it...

My grandmother tried to kill herself when theytold her herhealth would wither away on the next year and she would be bedridden....

Everyone thought she was crazy...I feel pity for the woman...

[Damia_Thorne]

Hmmmm, maybe I'll move over there if my cancer gets any worse!

[Zeo]

I wonder if they allow assisted suicide for hypochondriacs...

[iblis]

I wonder if they allow assisted suicide for hypochondriacs...

as long as it isn't paid for the government, i'd be all for it.

[Damia_Thorne]

I wonder if they allow assisted suicide for hypochondriacs...

Why Zeo? Do you know of one you'd like to get rid of?

as long as it isn't paid for the government, i'd be all for it.

As far as I know, our government won't pay for shit if there's not even anything wrong with you. Unless you are one of the few people that believe that hypochondria is an "illness".

I got Medicare, TennCare and Social Security disability just handed to me when my doctors decided that my cancer was terminal. And as of January 1, I now have Medicare Part D and I don't have to deal with the crappy TennCare system for the rest of my short little life! YAY!

Now, the U.S. just needs to legalize assisted suicide for cancer patients.

[Mother Mo]

Everyone should have the right to die with dignity. My father's suffering didn't need to be so drawn out. Making someone "comfortable" while all their internal organs are shutting down is a sick joke.

Damia, I hope you have lots & lots of healthy & fulfilling years to go, sweetness.

[Damia_Thorne]

[Damia, I hope you have lots & lots of healthy & fulfilling years to go, sweetness.

Awwww, thank you Mo! I luvs you!

But, just keep your fingers crossed-my doctors don't expect me to live much longer.

and Mo, I'm sorry your Daddy had to suffer like that. That's so sad. I'm guessing that's what I have to look forward to and I'm already in unbearable pain 24/7. The "perks" and muscle relaxors don't even put a dent in my pain anymore.