Euthanasia tourists rush to Belgium for lethal injections

[cronus]

Euthanasia 'tourists' rush to Belgium for free lethal injections

Belgian doctors have reported a surge in overseas visitors, particularly from France, seeking an assisted suicide on arrival in the country.
Medical professionals claim that euthanasia tourists have been flooding through hospital A&E’s demanding a lethal injection which they can receive for free with a European Union’s health insurance card.
Last year, a staggering 2,023 patients were medically killed in the country, doubling the number five years ago.

The trend has been highlighted by Olivier Vermylen an emergency doctor at a Brussels hospital who The Times reports told Belgian newspaper Sudpresse: ‘It’s a phenomenon that did not exist five or six years ago.
‘Nowadays I get phone calls about French people who arrive in the emergency room announcing that they want euthanasia.’
He also revealed to the newspaper that French patients made up seven out of 15 cases of assisted suicide in his hospital.
Death tourists have been flocking to Belgium as treatment is free through the EHIC card but the trend is attracting concern among medical academics.

Professor Raphael Cohen-Almagor from the University of Hull who has been studying end of life concerns for the past 25 years, a vocal proponent of physician-assisted suicide, said he finds this phenomenon most disturbing.
He told MailOnline: ‘Liberal governments need to address the growing concern about the so-called “death-tourism”.
'Close at home, we witness many Britons who wish to decide the time of their death leave their country, their home (which is their castle) and travel to Switzerland where they are helped to die. Nearly 300 Britons have travelled to Zurich to die with the help of the Swiss suicide group Dignitas.

'The British authorities should understand that this “death-tourism” is the result of insufficient legal instruments to enable sick people, at the end of their lives, to seek help at home, permitting them to die peacefully in the company of their family and friends in a warm and loving environment.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z4ICnJ9FPO

[Scott1328]

Death tourism?

Worst. Vacation. Ever.

[JimC]

Personally, I've been dying to visit Belgium for years...

[Tero]

Is the one way ticket cheaper than round trip? and will the coffin qualify for the return ticket?

[cronus]

Should be a cremation and return via post option to reduce costs for folks less well to do.

[rainbow]

Personally, I've been dying to visit Belgium for years...

I found it dead boring.

[Svartalf]

Personally, I've been dying to visit Belgium for years...

You'd better visit the netherlands, the jenever is to die for

[Scot Dutchy]

Personally, I've been dying to visit Belgium for years...

You'd better visit the netherlands, the jenever is to die for

Euthanasia here is very strictly controlled and you have to a resident. Seems strange that it is so easy? Sudpresse btw is combination of local rags in Wallonia. I would not put too much weight into the reporting. The ads are more important than the news which in Wallonia does not come to much.

[JimC]

Flemish bigot!

[Scot Dutchy]

Flemish bigot!

Ik ben geen Vlamming!

[Meekychuppet]

Death tourism?

Worst. Vacation. Ever.

Having visited Scotland I beg to differ.

[Animavore]

[laklak]

Euthanasia is really cheap here. Just go to Chicago and take a walk downtown. Boom boom, out go the lights.

[Scot Dutchy]

It is dead cheap here as well. The health care pays for it.

[JimC]

It is dead cheap here as well. The health care pays for it.

In this context, the word "health" seems a little misplaced...