SWISS HOSPITAL TO LEND SUICIDES A HAND
And in Switzerland, a university hospital will begin offering its wards for assisted suicides, provided that the person is of sound mind and incurably ill. Until now, Swiss hospitals had refused to cooperate with the suicide organisations which have flourished there. But after two years of debate and consultation, the University of Lausanne has opened its doors. “We are not trying to encourage suicide,” says the hospital’s legal and ethical director, Alberto Crespo. ” But at the same time, as a hospital, we have to respect the wishes of someone who wants to die. We can’t be paternalistic. We can’t decide for a person what they should do. It is up to the person to decide whether they want to live or not.”
Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.
Latest posts by Michael Cook (see all)
- 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
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