The New Power Party (NPP) on Monday announced that it is proposing legislation to legalize euthanasia, saying it is time that Taiwanese society had genuine discussions on the issue.
A survey conducted in 2014 by Chinese-language weekly magazine Business Today found that 77 percent of respondents supported euthanasia.
An Internet poll by the Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBTQ+) Hotline Association in 2017 found that 92 percent of respondents supported legislation to legalize euthanasia.
Photo courtesy of NPP
“Facing all the controversies, our responsibility as legislators is to initiate genuine dialogue on the issue in society, which should seek to break past taboos and reach a consensus. Legislation should be stipulated to guarantee everyone’s autonomy over their own lives,” NPP Chairwoman Claire Wang (王婉諭) told a news conference in Taipei.
The euthanasia bill proposed by the NPP states that people should have the right to have their lives ended if they have a terminal illness and are experiencing unbearable pain, even after being given proper care and treatment, Wang said.
“Considering ethical issues that healthcare professionals might face in ending the lives of critically ill patients, the bill would give doctors the right to turn down a request for euthanasia at any time. The government should also have a mechanism in place to let other doctors carry out the procedure instead,” she said.
“Medical professionals who are willing to carry out euthanasia should be exempt from being responsible for medical liability issues,” Wang added.
She said that the government should ensure that organizations that offer physician-assisted suicide are staffed with licensed and certified professionals.
“The government should carefully examine each request for physician-assisted suicide and ascertain the legality of each case,” Wang said.
Obstetrician and gynecologist Chiang Sheng (江盛) said that a mature society needs legal euthanasia.
“Euthanasia is an individual’s right to freedom and autonomy, and falls within the scope of legal human rights. Empirical evidence has shown that while a majority of critically ill patients who remain conscious do not need euthanasia, about 4.6 percent of such patients would choose to end their lives with euthanasia and physician-assisted death,” Wu said.
Physician Chiang Kuan-yu (姜冠宇), who specializes in integrated medicine and hospice care, said that the medical community in Taiwan has reached some consensus on the issue.
“First, doctors have a responsibility to reduce patients’ pain, but they must also respect patients’ choice for dignity in life. Second, any decision to terminate a person’s life must be subject to strict medical and ethical review,” he said.
“One of the main disputes over euthanasia is whether it can be allowed as an option if there are limited medical resources to relieve the social and economic pressure that a country must bear,” Chiang said.
Another issue under dispute is that economically disadvantaged patients would be forced to consider the option of euthanasia if it is legalized, he said, adding that a comprehensive and well-rounded system is necessary.
Attorney Chi Yuan-liang (紀岳良) said that his experience of caring for his father, who had terminal cancer, made him realize that only a minority of patients can access hospice care due to limited capacity.
“Taiwan is proud of itself as a democratic and free nation. Modern medical technology could make people live in a state of ‘half-life.’ The government should be responsible for offering euthanasia as an option for patients with terminal illnesses,” he said. “There is no excuse to delay such legislation anymore.”
A study published by online booking platform Expedia revealed searches for travel to Taipei have ballooned 2,786 percent following the lifting of COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions due to the city being a “designation dupe” for Seoul. The TikTok trend for duping — referring to substituting a designation for a more inexpensive alternative — helped propel interest in Taipei, it said in a consumer survey titled “Unpack ‘24,” which was conducted from September to October in 14 countries. Location dupes are “every bit as delightful as the tried-and-true places travelers love,” Expedia trend tracker Melanie Fish said of the year’s popular alternatives, which
SAFETY IN REGULATION: The proposal states that Chiayi should assess whether it is viable to establish such a district and draft rules to protect clients and sex workers The Chiayi City Council passed a motion yesterday to assess the viability of establishing a regulated red-light district. The council yesterday held its last session of the year, at which its fiscal 2024 budget was approved, along with 61 other proposals. The proposal to assess the viability of establishing a red-light district was put forward by independent Chiayi City Councilor Molly Yen (顏色不分藍綠支持性專區顏色田慎節). The proposal cited 2011 amendments to the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法), which stipulate that city and county governments can pass autonomous regulations on the sex trade to manage the industry and guarantee industry workers’ rights. A ban on the
A small-scale protest that called on the government to cancel its plan to welcome Indian migrant workers in a bid to tackle Taiwan’s labor shortage was held in Taipei yesterday. During the protest, comprised of a few dozen people staged in front of the Presidential Office on Ketagalan Boulevard, the protest’s chief initiator, a woman identified only as “Yuna” said they wanted the central government to reconsider allowing migrant workers from India to enter Taiwan. Most people in Taiwan had little knowledge about the potential plan to allow in Indian migrant workers until a report in the media last month, she
STABILITY AND CHANGE: Flagging in recent polls, Ko this week pledged to maintain President Tsai’s foreign policy, with an emphasis on improving China relations Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday reiterated that he is “deep-green at heart” in response to accusations that he is pivoting his campaign to align closer with the ideology of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the face of flagging polls. Ko made the remark at an agricultural policy conference in Taipei, repeating his comments from an interview with CTS News a day earlier. Ko told the CTS host that he would continue to pursue President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) national defense and foreign policy in general, but with an emphasis on establishing a rapport with
RSS