Euthanasia can lead to 'dangerous' shift in medical ethics - Mgr Martin Micallef

Id-Dar tal-Providenza has stated it is “firmly” against the introduction of euthanasia and assisted suicide, warning the proposal could result in a “dangerous shift in medical ethics”.

In a statement on Friday, director Mgr Martin Micallef called for further investment in “high quality and holistic palliative care”, improved services for persons with disabilities and those with mental health difficulties, and the promotion of the belief that “every life is worthy of being lived.”.

He said assisted suicide and euthanasia both “strike at the heart of society” which is duty bound to protect the life of every person, and undermine the principle of inclusion.

“Dignity of life is not achieved through assisted suicide,” Mgr Micallef said.

He argued that wherever assisted suicide has been introduced, there has been “a cultural shift” in which those who are “healthy” are increasingly valued, while negative attitudes towards those who require care and medical assistance are reinforced.

“Euthanasia promotes a throwaway culture, in which human beings are seen as burdens, and the decision to die may not truly be a personal choice but rather influenced by internalised societal values that devalue care and portray dependence on others as something shameful.”

Mgr Micallef added that the current debate places “a strong emphasis” on personal autonomy “and paints a picture that it is better to die than to live in dependence”.

“This easily leads from a ‘right to die’ to a ‘duty to die’,” he said.

He continued that the proposal can lead to a shift in medical ethics noting that there have already been cases where doctors decided not to save the life of a person with a disability because they believed that the person had no acceptable quality of life, “thus ignoring the person’s right to life”.

Id-Dar tal-Providenza also cast doubt on the “so-called safeguards” saying they “rarely remain in place over time” citing cases in Belgium Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Canada as examples.

In Canada, assisted suicide occurs in the case of people with disabilities or mental health conditions, while in the Netherlands, parents may choose to end the lives of babies born with disabilities.

Mgr Micallef also criticised the consultation period saying it was “too short”.