Death

As an observer and a professional involved in the management of the final few days of life, the upcoming referendum on euthanasia with a simple Yes/No vote is quite challenging.

From my practical involvement with terminal diseases, it is very clear to me that for whatever reason where palliative care cannot deliver pain and anxiety relief, the choice to end one’s life with dignity must be respected.

Palliative care fails at times. The types of failures I see include inadequate drugging, inadequate funding for team support and management, inadequate supervision, inadequate understanding of the process of dying, personal-held beliefs of the care provider and their team, philosophical attitudes prevailing at the time in the community, and a particularly persuasive influence manifested by certain interpretations of religious beliefs.

No one ever has the right to tell another individual how they should or shouldn’t conduct the last few days.

However, this referendum’s proposal matter should not be blurred with the very fraught discussion that needs to be had regarding the people who may not have terminal illnesses but who will suffer endlessly as a result of their injuries or disabilities. That issue is an entirely different conversation and should never be part of the same referendum.