First Colombia Medicalized Killing

[Judi Lynn]

First Colombia Medicalized Killing
by Wesley J. Smith July 3, 2015 7:15 PM

Colombia’s first legal euthanasia has just been carried out. That makes four countries with currently legal euthanasia; Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Colombia.

Canada will soon join that list once the Supreme Court’s imposition goes into effect next year. The Province of Quebec currently allows euthanasia.

Switzerland does not technically allow euthanasia, but does permit non-medical assisted suicide and suicide clinics.

Three U.S. states allow assisted suicide by statute, Oregon, Washington, and Vermont. Montana’s status is in doubt thanks to a muddled state Supreme Court ruling, and one county in New Mexico permits it, due to a trial court ruling now on appeal.

Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/human-exceptionalism/420747/first-colombia-medicalized-killing-wesley-j-smith

LBN:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141136046

[Judi Lynn]

1. Colombian man dies by euthanasia with government backing

Colombian man dies by euthanasia with government backing
By JACOBO GARCIA, Associated Press | July 3, 2015 | Updated: July 3, 2015 5:16pm

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A 79-year old man suffering from incurable throat cancer has become the first Colombian to die by euthanasia with the full backing of the government.

Ovidio Gonzalez died Friday in the western city of Pereira after weeks of public feuding with doctors and hospital administrators over a Health Ministry decree mandating that clinics perform the procedure when requested by terminally ill patients.

A Constitutional Court ruling 17 years ago made Colombia the first and still only country in Latin America, and one of just a handful worldwide, to allow euthanasia. But Congress never passed laws regulating the procedure, as the high court had ordered, and in April the Health Ministry intervened, providing the regulatory guidelines for insurers and hospitals.

Religious groups and many doctors were outraged and the country's conservative inspector general tried to block application of the new rules, which requires all hospitals to form medical committees to evaluate a patient's request for euthanasia. The Roman Catholic church threatened to close the dozens of hospitals it runs in the country if required to carry out the procedures.

More:
http://www.chron.com/news/medical/article/Colombian-man-dies-of-euthanasia-with-government-6365149.php