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8 December 2003
BRUSSELS – The first forum on euthanasia held in Brussels at the weekend saw calls for Belgium’s euthanasia law to be extended.
Attended by several hundred doctors, the euthanasia forum marked the first year of Belgium’s law on the issue, with more than 250 cases registered in 12 months.
It is expected that five times more people than registered had their lives terminated by euthanasia in the past year.
The chairman of the evaluation commission, Wim Distelmans, would like to see the law extended, however.
He wants minors to be able to ask for euthanasia, and for people suffering from degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s to be able to request euthanasia by will before they become incapacitated.
He also wants doctors who are unwilling to apply euthanasia to be obliged to pass on patients who request it to another doctor.
Subject: Belgian news