Euthanasia is legal in Belgium only with the permission of the patient, and has to be done by a doctor. Legal since 2002, it is said to account for 2% of all deaths annually. A recent disturbing study found that 120 of 248 nurses surveyed admitted that they had taken part in cases involving euthanasia without the consent of the patients. Nurses indicated that they participated in the euthanasia process even though they were not doctors and permission was not obtained. Oftentimes, the study showed that doctors delegated the process of fatal drug administration to the nurses, showing negligence on the part of doctors and nurses.
The results of this study raise serious questions regarding not only the ramifications of legalizing euthanasia, but also the effectiveness of the basic health insurance coverage provided to Belgium’s citizens by their government. Without accountability and internal controls, it seems that some healthcare practitioners have been granted the power to “assume” that people want to die. More information about Belgium’s mandatory healthcare insurance can be found here: http://www.belgium.be/en/health/healthcare_costs/.
