Belgian doctor gets major grant for services to euthanasia
Wim Distelmans get a major award from his university
Belgium has often come under fire in the international media over its regime of legalised euthanasia. Critics complain that the boundaries of eligibility are ever expanding, from the terminally ill, to those who are tired of living, and now to children.
Belgians, however, see things differently. One index of this is the near celebrity status given to Dr Wim Distelmans, a palliative care specialist who is the leading propagandist for euthanasia in Belgium, one of the leading practitioners of euthanasia, and the head of the government committee which assesses whether euthanasia has been carried out in accordance with the law.
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Free University of Brussels), where Dr Distelman is a professor, has just awarded him a grant of 150,000 Euros (US$205,000) for playing a key role in swinging the Belgian public around on the controversial issue of euthanasia. The Rector of the VUB said that Distelmans is a “fantastic symbol of the importance the university attaches to the respectful treatment of people.”
Michael Cook
Creative commons
Belgium
euthanasia
Wim Distelmans
- How long can you put off seeing the doctor because of lockdowns? - December 3, 2021
- House of Lords debates assisted suicide—again - October 28, 2021
- Spanish government tries to restrict conscientious objection - October 28, 2021
More Stories
What is that bright light at the end of the tunnel?
Reports of near-death experiences -- with tales of white light, visits from departed loved ones, hearing voices, seeing Heaven --...
Portugal on the brink of legalizing euthanasia
For the fifth time, Portugal's parliament has approved a bill legalising euthanasia. It passed with a comfortable majority -- 129...
Spanish governments lock horns over euthanasia for the disabled
Canada is not the only country caught up in a debate about euthanasia for people with disabilities. In Spain, the...
New Zealand reports on its first year with legal euthanasia
Euthanasia and assistance to suicide became legal in New Zealand from 7 November 2021 under the End of Life Choices...
Disability rights groups launch lawsuit to quash California’s assisted suicide law
Several groups representing people living with disability are suing in the US District Court for the Central District of California...
A Japanese professor at Yale floats the idea of mass suicide for the elderly
With a fertility rate of about 1.3 children per woman and a third of the population over 65, it seems...