Euthanasia

6 Pages 1593 Words

United States and to other countries that have ongoing debates to legalize this form of medical procedure.
In 1973, the Dutch Society for Voluntary Euthanasia was born--and grew the largest among such organizations--after the case of Dr. Geertruida Postma. She was a general practitioner, who assisted in her terminally ill mother’s death. She was found guilty at her trial, and was sentenced to one-week suspension and one year probation with her practice. (Greenberg, pp38) Following this case, many other physicians stated that they had done similar things. Therefore, the Dutch courts began to tolerate euthanasia for terminally ill patients. By the early 80’s the Dutch Supreme court established a standard procedure for physicians how to perform euthanasia on terminally and chronically ill elderly patients whose deaths were forthcoming. Afterward, in 1993, the Dutch parliament passed the law that provided official guidelines to euthanasia and physician assisted suicide.” By a vote of 91-45 the lower House of Parliament on February 9, 1993, gave immunity to physicians who followed the official guidelines….�...