Deans of the medical faculties of seven Chilean universities spoke on the bill that seeks to authorize euthanasia in the country.
He project It seeks to establish the right to voluntarily opt for medical assistance to accelerate death in cases of terminal and incurable disease, and clarifies that this practice must be aimed at causing a quick death, without pain and with the least possible suffering.
Receive the main news of ACI Press by WhatsApp and Telegram
It is increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social networks. Subscribe to our free channels today:
Among the requirements to access is the diagnosis of a serious and irremediable health problem by two specialist doctors; have Chilean nationality, legal residence in Chile or accredited residence greater than twelve months; be of age; be aware at the time of the application; the certification of a psychiatrist of the full use of mental faculties of the applicant; and that the application is expressly, reasoned, repeated, unequivocal and free of any external pressure. The application is very personal and indeliable.
Prevent, cure, care for, relieve and accompany
With “deep concern”, while the project is discussed in the Senate Health Commission, the deans of the Faculties of Medicine of the Catholic University of Maule, Dr. Iván Castillo; Autonomous University, Dr. Luis Castillo; Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Dr. Felipe Heusser; Catholic University of the Blessed Conception, Dr. Patricio Manzárraga; University of Los Andes, Dr. Enrique Oyarzún; San Sebastián University, Dr. Carlos Pérez; and from Finis Terrae University, Dr. Ernesto Vega, They presented their arguments against the parliamentary initiative.
“Medicine aims to promote health, prevent disease, cure, care for, relieve pain and suffering, and avoid premature death accompanying the patient until its natural end. It should never abandon it or less cause death to relieve their suffering,” they express in a joint letter.
“This is recognized by the International Medical Community, including the World Medical Association (AMM) that in its 70th General Assembly (Tbilisi, 2019) reaffirmed the duty to respect all human life according to the immemorial principles of medical ethics,” they say.
“Life is an unavailable good”
Therefore, “as medical faculties, we make our commitment and oppose euthanasia and medically assisted suicide.”
Among their arguments, they remember that “life is an unavailable good, a general rule that supports both medical ethics and law.”
“Homicide and suicide aid are expressly sanctioned in our legal system,” they emphasize. Therefore, “pretending to legitimize euthanasia and assisted suicide, in addition to involving health professionals in their execution, contradicts basic principles of medical ethics and denatures the medical-patient relationship, which must always be based on care for their entire life.”
Within that framework, they clarify: “We reject therapeutic stubbornness, since artificially prolonging patient’s agony is also a practice contrary to medical ethics. Suspending futile treatments does not constitute euthanasia.”
Just as they call to respect a patient’s decision to “reject unwanted treatments, even when death anticipates”, they warn that “the essential difference is to directly cause death.”
The project “imposes death as health benefit”
“The discussion project authorizes euthanasia even in patients with chronic treatable, non-terminal diseases, confusing the incurable with the intractable,” says the statement, adds: “even more, denatures the medical-patient relationship by forcing the professional to include the ‘right’ to assisted suicide and euthanasia when informing a diagnosis.”
This, the deans warn, “transforms communication with the patient into a cold technocratic act, stripped of humanity.”
On the other hand, they indicate that the project “imposes death as a health benefit, qualifying euthanasia and suicide assisted as medical acts”, which invests the logic and ethics of the profession, since “it forces the doctor to reject this practice to publicly justify their objection, while those who accept it are out of all scrutiny and control.”
Citing the World Medical Association (AMM), from the faculties they express themselves categorically on this point: “No doctor should be forced to participate or refer to a patient for these purposes.”
“True compassion does not kill”
“True compassion does not kill. Authentic care is expressed in ensuring that no one dies with pain, in solitude or without accompaniment. A fair and solidarity society does not offer death as a health benefit, but palliative care, accompaniment and relief until the end of life,” they sentence.
“That is our commitment to patients, especially the most vulnerable, and also with the training of our students,” they say.
Finally, the deans of the medical faculties warn about “the inconvenience of legislating this issue under pressure in an electoral context”, arguing that “euthanasia and assisted suicide are irreversible decisions that directly affect the practice of medicine and that, precisely because of it, require the greatest prudence and responsibility”.
Julieta Villar
I am a journalist, a graduate in Communication from the National University of La Matanza in Argentina. I have work experience in non -governmental organizations. Since 2016 I dedicate myself to Catholic journalism, first in the Argentine Catholic Information Agency (AICA) and, since 2022, as a correspondent for ACI Press for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Bolivia.