Will France change its laws about euthanasia and assisted suicide?

PARIS: France is considering whether to relax its laws governing end-of-life policy, which currently prohibits euthanasia and assisted suicide in the country.

It only allows deep and continuous sedation until death for terminally ill patients who are not predicted to live for more than a few days.

Euthanasia involves a doctor playing an active role in a patient's request to die, while in an assisted suicide, a patient is given the means to end his or her own life.

However, the possible change in policy is causing controversy in the country.

PROLONGED SUFFERING

At a conference in the French city of Orleans, former medical professionals debated the possible legalisation of euthanasia and assisted suicide in the country.

Having worked in the healthcare sector previously gave them a close-up view of the prolonged suffering some patients face towards the end of their lives.

“In 2005, I watched my godfather's disease progress for two years. It was horrible, just horrible. In the end, he died under terrible conditions to the point of exhaustion. That opened my eyes to all this. I don’t want to see my loved ones suffer like that,” said one conference attendee.

Another attendee told CNA: “I think it's very important that people can choose how to live their end of life, and not have to put up with what the doctors or the family choose (or) decide for them.”

Retired anesthesiologist Anne Vivien, one of the lead speakers at the conference, said any change in the euthanasia policy would be strictly controlled.

“This authorisation or decriminalisation of assisted dying will be supervised. It will allow doctors to help and monitor patients, if they so wish, until the last moment,” she said.

“Today, the law does not allow any control (of the patient's final moment). It prohibits active assistance in dying but it does not control what happens then.”

LISTENING TO THE PATIENT

Mr Yoann Brossard, director-general of the Right To Die With Dignity Association, told CNA that the issue comes down to a simple choice of acting on what the person with the illness wants.

“We must listen to the patient. Just because they are ill, it doesn’t mean they’re not a citizen anymore who can make decisions,” he said.

“Paternalism is over. You have to stop treating patients like children. That’s the first thing which would be in effect, that we affirm the rights of a patient, notably the medical directive over future actions.”

A citizens' council set up to consider the issue recently recommended new end-of-life legislation, but some members of France’s religious community oppose the moves to allow assisted suicide.

There are already options for people suffering from terminal illnesses, such as palliative care, deep and continuous sedation, and making the patient as comfortable as possible, according to the National Evangelical Council.

Its head Erwan Cloarec told CNA: “I believe that by authorising this possibility of euthanasia or helping someone to die, we are crossing the threshold of something forbidden, something dangerous, I think, for our way of living as a society, our way of living together.”

While coming to terms with one’s end of life is typically a personal or private family matter, it is now being questioned publicly in France, with the country debating whether to join its European neighbours with similar policies.

Euthanasia has been legal in Belgium and the Netherlands for more than 20 years, while Switzerland has allowed assisted suicide since 1942.