“Pacify the debate” on the end of life: the objective stated by Emmanuel Macron in the interview he gave to The cross And Releasepublished on Sunday March 10, is far from being achieved given the divided reactions that his comments arouse.
The presentation by the Head of State of the bill which “opens up the possibility of requesting assistance in dying under certain strict conditions” arouses the “dismay” and the ” anger “ of around twenty learned societies and healthcare unions opposed to active assistance in dying. This collective denounces “an unfortunate lexical confusion: the president retains the term “assisted dying”, while not assuming that the options chosen relate to euthanasia and assisted suicide.”
Emmanuel Macron indicates that the bill provides that a sick person who has access to a “help to die”, but who could not physically carry out the lethal act could request the assistance of a caregiver or a third party designated by them. This is a “ultra-permissive model”, reacts the collective: “No country considers the administration of the lethal substance by a loved one. »
The words of the President of the Republic “arouse in me more sadness than anger”entrusted to World Doctor Claire Fourcade, president of the French Society for Support and Palliative Care (SFAP), member of the caregiver collective. “I feel like I’ve been abandoned. To be ready to support the sick, the caregivers that we are need society to say to these people: “You matter to us and because you are worth it, we will relieve you whatever the cost.” Through this bill, the president suggests that what we accomplish with patients would be secondary. »
“Insufficiency” of resources
The SFAP and the collective of learned societies also denounce “insufficiency” additional resources announced by the President of the Republic to finance the “ten-year strategy” development of palliative and support care, which will be presented ” end of March “. Nearly 1.6 billion euros are spent annually today on palliative care. One billion euros over ten years will be allocated in addition, indicates the president. “ That’s a 6% increase per year, calculates the president of the SFAP. Which barely covers inflation and the increase in the number of aging people. »
Conversely, Jonathan Denis, president of the Association for the Right to Die with Dignity (ADMD), welcomes “the announcement of a fairly precise timetable which reassures about the president’s desire for a text to finally be submitted in the coming weeks to the national representation”.
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