A barrage intended to be a deterrent. While the executive plans to present a bill on the end of life “during February”a provisional version of the text arouses ” anger “ of caregivers hostile to active assistance in dying, in a press release published Thursday, December 14.
They are reacting to a first government version entitled “bill relating to support for the sick and the end of life” – which The world was unveiled on November 14 (edition dated November 15). This document, which has not been made public since then, reached the desk of the French Society for Support and Palliative Care (SFAP) on Wednesday, December 13. It was taken up the same day in Le Figaro.
This is’“a poor text whose approximate character testifies to a serious misunderstanding of what exists”, reacts the SFAP in its press release, co-signed with a dozen other caregiver associations and organizations (representing geriatricians, intensivists, nurses and home hospitalization professionals), united for several months in an opposing collective to the legalization of assisted dying.
“An exception for euthanasia, without naming it”
The preliminary draft law, dated October 6, was written by Agnès Firmin Le Bodo, Minister Delegate in charge of territorial organization and health professions. It was presented to the Elysée more than two months ago, in accordance with the wish expressed, on April 3, by the Head of State, Emmanuel Macron, of “build a bill by the end of summer”.
The text of Mme Firmin Le Bodo includes chapter III devoted to “access to assisted dying” which includes eight articles. Assisted dying, explains the document in its presentation of the content of the articles “opens up to the person at the end of life the possibility of benefiting from the administration of a lethal substance”.
Finally, the explanatory memorandum of the articles explains that the text of the law “introduces an exception for euthanasia, without naming it” and precise : ” L‘expression “to die for” was favored over the terms “assisted suicide” and “euthanasia”. »
“I am in shock upon discovering this document”
For the SFAP and the signatories of the press release published Thursday, ” all [de ces] provisions go against the requests made by caregivers.” “I am in shock upon discovering this document, declares to World Doctor Claire Fourcade, president of the SFAP. It is nothing more and nothing less than introducing euthanasia into the law like the model in force in Belgium”a model which provides for assisted suicide and euthanasia and which the SFAP is vigorously opposed.
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