Title:
Belgian Insurance Boss Suggests Euthanasia for Elderly “Tired of Life”: Controversial Debate on Right to Die
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Old age pensioners should be given a choice of euthanasia if they decide they’ve grown “tired of life”, claims a Belgian insurance boss. Luc Van Gorp, 57, has called for the elderly to be given the final say on their lives in hopes it can end the stigma around assisted suicide and even save the taxpayer a lot of money.
Euthanasia: Assisted Suicide for the Elderly
Euthanasia has been a hotly debated topic for decades and is still illegal in several countries across the world including the UK. Although most places who have legalized the method of dying, such as the Netherlands, only allow a patient to go through it if they can prove they have “unbearable suffering without prospect of improvement”. But for Gorp, the president of the CM health fund, the option should be more accessible to those who have lived a fulfilling life already. He said: “Many elderly people are tired of life. Why would you necessarily want to prolong such a life? Those people don’t want that themselves, and when it comes to budgets, it only costs the government money.” Before he went on to tell the Nieuwsblad newspaper: “We must remove the stigma.”
The number of Belgians over 80-years-old is set to double by 2050 to 1.2 million and Gorp thinks the chance to end your life early on your own terms should be extended to OAPs. One of the main reasons is to combat the rising tax bills of many residents. Pensioners spend their lives working so when they retire they are allowed to live off money from the government instead of staying in work. This means those of us still in a job are essentially left paying for their income. Another huge issue stems from the elderly requiring more help as they get older.
Belgium’s Laws on Euthanasia
Euthanasia has been legal in Belgium since 2002 and the country has even played a pivotal role in overseas visitors looking to die on their terms. The law states anyone can undergo the peaceful procedure if they meet the following conditions. They must voluntarily ask to be euthanized. It must be considered and a repeated decision over a period of time. And the patient must be experiencing unbearable suffering as a result of an incurable or serious illness.
Doctor’s Views on Euthanasia
Critics have blasted the decision for some countries to legalize the practice, saying it encourages people like Zoraya to die rather than live in pain. Stef Groenewoud, a healthcare ethicist at Theological University Kampen, told the Free Press: “I see the phenomenon especially in people with psychiatric diseases, and especially young people with psychiatric disorders, where the healthcare professional seems to give up on them more easily than before.” Critics blame “suicide contagion” on a social media glamorization of suicide and radical right-to-die activists who advocate for freedom to kill ourselves when our lives are “complete.”
Ultimately, the debate around euthanasia remains a highly controversial topic with strong opinions on both sides. The decision of whether individuals should have the right to choose when to end their lives raises ethical, moral, and legal questions that continue to be heavily debated in society.