SOUTH AFRICA: BY APRIL, DIGNITYSA PLANS TO LODGE A CASE TO LEGALISE EUTHANASIA - IN THE NORTH GAUTENG HIGH COURT - ACCORDING TO THE GROUP'S CO-FOUNDER, STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY PHILOSOPHY PROFESSOR WILLEM LANDMAN; ALLEGED NEWS. [1] DignitySA is asking the Pretoria court "to declare the blanket prohibition of assisted dying unconstitutional, thus decriminalising it, and to instruct Parliament to pass a law legalising assisted dying", said Professor Landman; Alleged News. [1]
Opposition of euthanasia
It has been posited that only about one in seven South Africans (14%) can access palliative care and pain control, a similar proportion to World Health Organisation estimates globally: Alleged News. [1]
Access to care
However, access to care and pain medications and therapy are available to all in South Africa, for free. Every person in South Africa is able to attend local health clinics for free. Section 27 of the Constitution states that everyone has a right to have access to health care services, and that no-one may be denied emergency medical treatment. [2]
Section 4(3) of the National Health Act provides for certain free health care services for people who do not have medical aid. It does not limit access to these services based on nationality or immigration status, meaning that these services are available to all, South African and not; documented and not. [2]
Section 4(3) states inter alia that everyone is entitled to free primary health care services at government facilities. This means that clinics are free to all. Section 4(3) goes on to state that all pregnant and breastfeeding women under the age of six are eligible for free health care services at public clinics or hospitals. [2]
Palliative care facilities in South Africa
Palliative care facilities in South Africa, include the following inter alia: [3]
In the Western Cape: Overstrand Hospice, Bethesda Medical and Relief Services NPC (CSMR), Boland Hospice, Barrydale Hospice, Breede River Hospice, Drakenstein Palliative Hospice, Franschhoek Hospice, Helderberg Hospice, Helderberg Society for the Aged, Knysna Sedgefield Hospice, Hospice Plett/The Plettaid Foundation, St Helena Sandveld Hospice, St Luke's Combined Hospices, Stellenbosch Hospice, The Tygerberg Hospice Trust, Living Hope [3]
In the Eastern Cape: Border Hospice Association trading as St Bernard's Hospice Association, Camdeboo Hospice, Palcare (formerly known as Grahamstown Hospice, Hospice Association of Transkei, St Francis Hospice, Amin Frail and Palliative Care Centre [3]
In the Free State: Lesedi Hospice - Centre of Hope, Ladybrand Hospice, Hospice Bloemfontein [3]
In Gauteng: Eersterust Association for Community Health (Each), Footprints Hospice, Garankuwa Sunshine Hospice HIV/AIDS Awareness Centre, FWC Hospice (services the West Rand Area), Holy Cross Home, Greendale House Palliative & Hospice Care, East Rand Palliative Care, Ladies of Hope, Lambano Sanctuary Children's Step-Down Facility/Hospice, Leratong Hospice, Stepping Stone Hospice & Care Services & Martelise Meaker Children's Unit, St Francis Care Centre, Sungardens Hospice, Wide Horizon Hospice, Zazen Respite Care, Alex Hospice (Hospice & Rehabilitation Centre @ Alex), Izihlobo Healthcare [3]
In Kwazulu-Natal: Butterfly Palliative Home, Duduza Care Centre, Estcourt Hospice, Highway Hospice Association, Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust (HACT), Holy Cross Aids Hospice, Ladysmith Hospice, Midlands Hospice (formerly Howick Hospice Association), Msunduzi Hospice Association, Philanjalo Care Centre, South Coast Hospice Association, Tender Loving Care Home Services (TLC), Verulam Regional Hospice Association, Zululand Hospice Association, Blessed Gerard's Care Centre [3]
In Limpopo: Choice Trust, LIM Carewell [3]
In Mpumalanga: Hospice White River, Nelspruit Hospice, Witbank Hospice T/A White Rose Hospice [3]
In North-West: Hospice Matlosana, Hospice Rustenburg, St Catherina Hospice, Tshupe Hospice [3]
In Northern Cape: Bophelong Care Centre, Hearts of Compassion, Hospice Richtersveld [3]
If a reader needs to contact a hospice or palliative care centre, please find the link to contact details https://apcc.org.za/find-a-palliative-care-centre/
The Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa (HPCA) [4] contact details may be found at https://doctors-hospitals-medical-cape-town-south-africa.blaauwberg.net/patient_support_associations/patient_support_associations_south_africa/hospice_palliative_care_association_of_south_africa_hpca
Euthanasia is considered by Professor Theo Boer - once part of euthanasia bureaucracy - to be the proverbial slippery slope
Professor Theo Boer - a prominent Professor of Ethics who once was part of the Netherlands' euthanasia bureaucracy voiced his qualms about the interpretation and use of the Dutch euthanasia law in a lengthy interview published by Trouw, Alleged News. [5]
Professor Boer was worried that trends in the Netherlands were trivializing euthanasia to an extent that many who fought for legalization of 'mercy killing' in the 1990's privately expressed their opinion that it had gone too far. And it will be hard to turn back the clock, he acknowledged; Alleged News. [5]
Professor Boer served as ethicist regarding euthanasia
Professor Theo Boer does not oppose euthanasia; he served as an ethicist for nine years on one of the five regional control commissions that monitor all cases of declared euthanasia in the Netherlands; Alleged News. [5] He stepped down in September 2013; Alleged News. [5]
Statistics show that twelve years after the Dutch euthanasia law came into force, euthanasia statistics moved from 1,800 declared cases per year to 4,800 in 2013, reaching a total of more than 25,000 medical euthanisations; Alleged News. [5] In 2013, 46 psychiatric patients and 97 patients suffering from dementia were euthanised; Alleged News. [5]
Warning from former euthanasia supporter Professor Boer
Legalising assisted suicide is a slippery slope towards widespread killing of the sick, MP's and peers in the UK were told in 2014, Alleged News. [6] A former euthanasia supporter, Professor Theo Boer, warned of a surge in deaths if Parliament allowed doctors to give deadly drugs to their patients; Alleged News. [6] 'Don't do it, Britain', said Theo Boer a veteran European watchdog in assisted suicide cases. 'Once the genie is out of the bottle, it is not likely ever to go back in again,' Alleged News. [6]
Professor Boer admitted he was 'wrong - terribly wrong, in fact' to have believed regulated euthanasia would work; Alleged News. [6] 'I used to be a supporter of the Dutch law. But now, with 12 years of experience, I take a very different view,' Alleged News. [6]
Doctors in the Netherlands issued call to hit the brakes
In 2017, an advertisement taken out in a major newspaper (NRC) in the Netherlands by 220 Dutch doctors [7] began, "[Assisted suicide] for someone who cannot confirm he wants to die? No, we will not do that. Our moral reluctance to end the life of a defenceless man is too great," Alleged News. [8]
The doctors, many of whom served as assisted-suicide providers, were objecting to the unchecked growth of euthanasia in their country, where people who had reduced mental capacity due to dementia were being euthanised; Alleged News. [8]
In 2017, the law allowed doctors to euthanise without verbal consent if a written declaration of will has been provided in advance; Alleged News. [8] In addition, a doctor also has to first determine that the patient is undergoing unbearable suffering, Alleged News. [8] However, with reduced mental capacity, patients are often unable to confirm that their former request to be euthanised - executed perhaps years earlier - is still valid; Alleged News. [8]
Elderly woman euthanised against her will
Alarm bells began to sound for these doctors some years ago when an elderly woman was euthanised against her will; Alleged News. [8]
The 80-year-old, who suffered from dementia, allegedly had earlier requested to be euthanised when "the time was right", but in her last days expressed her desire to continue living: Alleged News. [8]
Despite the lady having changed her mind about ending her life, her doctor put a sedative in her coffee; Alleged News, [8] When that was not enough, the doctor enlisted the help of family members to hold down the struggling, objecting patient so that she could administer the lethal injection: Alleged News. [8]
Human right to live
"Doesn't someone have a right to change their mind?" asked Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition; Alleged News. [8]
The directive of the Head of the Church
Jesus Christ is acknowledged as the Supreme High Priest in Hebrews 4:14-15. Jesus is the eternal Head of the Church (Colossians 1:18). All priests of God bow our heads before commandment from Jesus, our eternal High Priest.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, proclaimed, "I did not come to abolish the Law of Moses or the writings of the prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God's Law will disappear until everything is accomplished." (Matthew 5:17-18)
Thus Jesus affirmed that the Law of Moses inclusive of the sixth commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," (Ex 20:13) is to be obeyed.
Complex end-of-life care
Issues surrounding end-of-life care may prove complex. Bio-ethical complexities within modern clinical care scenarios may arise. Discernment, informed understanding, clinical skill and chaplaincy care are proven pillars of support during end-of-life care. These pillars often assist to ensure excellent care and sensitive, holistic support at end-of-life to both patient and their loved ones.
The guiding moral compass in end-of-life care is the guiding light from God, that humankind is not at liberty to make the decision to take the life of another.
[1] Reporter Claire Keeton. Sunday Times 12 Ideas. Go gently into the night. January 26, 2025
https://times-e-editions.pressreader.com/article/281792814703478
[2] Reported Sasha Stevenson. Are foreigners really entitled to free healthcare in South Africa?
[3] APCC (Association of Palliative Care Centres). Find a Palliative Care Centre
https://apcc.org.za/find-a-palliative-care-centre/
[4] Hospice Palliative Care Association
[5] Euthanasia in the Netherlands is getting out of hand: ethicist who screened over 4,000 euthanasia cases; Alleged News
[6] Don't make our mistake: as assisted suicide bill goes to Lords, Dutch watchdog who once backed euthanasia warns UK of 'slippery slope' to mass deaths; Alleged News
[7] Enzo van Steenbergen en Guus Ritzen. Artsen: dementerenden kunnen te eenvoudig euthenasie krijgen; Alleged News. 2017
[8] Dutch euthanasia getting so out of hand that even assisted-death docs want to hit the brakes: Alleged News
[9] Euthanasia and Physician-assisted suicide - Part one
https://lumierecharity.blogspot.com/2016/05/euthenasia-and-physician-assisted.html
With thanks to times-e-editions, bhekisisa.org, apcc.org.za, hpca, lifesitenews.com, dailymail.co.uk, and nrc.nl
Image courtesy of Freepik with CN Whittle
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