Be ready to talk about death, urges doctor
An international euthanasia expert says more Waikato residents are open to the idea of ‘choosing’ when they want to die.
Dutch doctor Rob Jonquiere says attitudes to euthanasia in the Waikato have changed in the five years since he was there last.
During his last visit, few were open to talking about the subject, but last week he spoke to at least 10 groups of professional bodies as well as giving private presentations to the likes of medical students at Waikato District Health Board.
‘‘People point at the Netherlands and say, ‘Look, they’re killing children and they’re killing the elderly and there is no boundary anymore’ so it is good to hear the defence against that, and it’s good to be able to talk to people about what [euthanasia] is about,’’ he said.
Jonquiere, 70, is on a three-week speaking tour of New Zealand. He started his own family practice in the Dutch city of Hengelo and was the CEO of Dutch Right to Die Organisation where he worked in the development of the Dutch Euthanasia Law, which came into effect in 2002.
‘‘Euthanasia in the Netherlands was part of the debate in the medical profession,’’ he said. ‘‘I did perform some euthanasias in that period, even though it was illegal and you get into these situations where you perform euthanasia, knowing that you’re doing something according to the wish of the patient you are helping. Ethically, it was the right thing to do.’’
Jonquiere was invited to speak at Hamilton Age Concern whose manager, Gail Gilbert, said he gave a valid view of end-of-life choices.
‘‘The majority of people at our meeting were all very willing to listen to the argument but more people than before actually agreed with [euthanasia],’’ she said. ‘‘I think views have definitely changed because there is a lot of information out there, there’s a lot of scaremongering out there that [doctors will] be bumping off people, but there is no evidence of this in Holland.
‘‘The main message was that
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Which of the following football clubs is not based in London: Queens Park Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa or Crystal Palace?
Which British institution is known as the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street? voluntary euthanasia is an end to suffering not an end to life.’’
Jonquiere said there needed to be more discussion about euthanasia and discussions around death.
‘‘People should be prepared to talk about death in general, it’s the only certainty you have in your life. Talking about certainty is not suggesting euthanasia but to emphasise the issue of choice because as long as euthanasia is illegal, you do not have a choice.’’
Hospice Waikato CEO Craig Tamblyn said he had not realised Jonquiere was in New Zealand and disagreed that there had been a change in attitudes.
‘‘I am aware of the discussion at parliament level around the use of euthanasia but I’m not sure that there’s actually been a national change in attitudes for it,’’ he said. ‘‘We are very much so contradicting services and we understand that everybody is allowed freedom of speech but we don’t support euthanasia, we do palliative care and we promote every moment counts.’’
Voluntary Euthanasia Society of New
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Which writer and statesman gave his name to an international organisation that promotes German language and culture?
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The Tangiwai disaster of 1953 occurred on a bridge over which river? Zealand president Dr Jack Havill said recent surveys showed there had been a shift in attitudes to euthanasia. A 2012 survey measuring New Zealanders’ views on end-of-life choices found that 62.9 per cent of those surveyed supported or strongly supported medically assisted dying, if the patient was suffering from a condition that rendered their life unbearable.
Overall, 12 per cent of those surveyed were in opposition to euthanasia.
‘‘We’re not against hospice care, we just think [euthanasia] should be part of the continuum.’’
A study was published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine in December, where 677 random participants completed an anonymous questionnaire about New Zealanders’ attitudes toward physician assisted dying (PAD).
‘‘Overall, 78 per cent felt PAD was the most appropriate response in certain situations while 82 per cent felt it should be legalised.’’
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donna-lee.biddle@fairfaxmedia.co.nz