On the other hand, he stressed, “there is a moment when even palliative care is exhausted and, often, what happens in hospitals is basically to let the patient die, not feeding or sedating him in such a way that he ends up causing his death ”, dealing with passive euthanasia.
“Sometimes in the discussion of active euthanasia, it seems like shooting the patient and it’s over, that’s not it. And it is not just accepting the person’s will, it has to be a commission to analyze the case, talk to the person, talk to the family, indicate that there are more possibilities such as continued care, palliative care ”, stressed Jaime Teixeira Mendes.
For the doctor, in euthanasia “a little is happening like the attack that was made on the voluntary termination of pregnancy”.
“The law can basically provide for the specificities of a medically assisted death and this also protects the doctor, because it will be a medically assisted suicide, as is practiced in Switzerland and there the whole deontological problem of doctors is ensured”, he defended.
In his opinion, it was “very important” to hear the opinion of the medical community, especially those who work with terminally ill patients.
On February 20, the Assembly of the Republic debates five bills for the decriminalization of assisted death, from BE, PS, PAN, PEV and Liberal Initiative, which provide for this possibility under various conditions.
In 2018, the parliament debated euthanasia decriminalization projects, presented by the PS, BE, PAN and Greens, but were all failed, in a nominal vote by deputies, one by one, and in which the two largest parties gave freedom of vote.
Two years ago, the CDS voted against it, just like the PCP, the PSD split, a majority in the PS voted in favor. BE, PAN and ENP voted in favor.
A group of citizens is collecting signatures to hold a referendum on the matter, which has the support of the Catholic Church, contrary to what happened in 2018. Of the parties with parliamentary representation, only the CDS supports the idea, as well as several leaders of the PSD.
–
