[ad_1]
Opinion – Right to life
How can the government seriously support its suicide prevention strategy when the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and an overwhelming number of government members support the sanctioned government, funded by a physician …How can the government seriously support its suicide prevention strategy when the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and an overwhelming number of government members support physician-badisted and government-funded physician-badisted suicide?
A total of 668 people committed suicide in New Zealand in 2017-2018. Our suicide statistics are appalling because we have the highest suicide rate among young people in the 41 OECD countries. Suicide is a very serious national health problem, it affects families and communities. The government recognizes the seriousness of the crisis and annually funds the suicide prevention strategy, the goal of which is to reduce the number of suicides.
In December 2018, a total of 37 Labor MPs, including the Prime Minister and nine first NZ MPs, voted in favor of the End of Life Choice bill at first reading. David Seymour's bill, introduced by a member of parliament, aims to legalize badisted suicide for people with serious terminal illness or irreversible disability. The premier said she would support the bill at second reading. How can the Prime Minister say that he is wary of sending a message, "that there was a tolerance for suicide in New Zealand"? Is not she transmitting to the community the message that she supports the suicide of seriously ill and disabled people?
The Government is commended for having included in the 2019 budget funding for suicide prevention; specifically, $ 40 million for Maori and Pasifika suicide prevention, more suicide prevention services in district health boards, grief counseling and a review of the coroner's data-sharing service.
Free counseling for up to 2,500 people should be provided (four sessions per person) to those who have lost loved ones to suicide. The Ministry of Health is finalizing a draft National Strategy for Suicide Prevention in an Emergency. Is the government proposing to provide government-funded counseling services to the loved ones of those who could benefit from government-funded and approved badisted suicide if the EOLC system is adopted?
The government's 2017 suicide prevention strategy defines suicide as "a death where there is evidence that the person deliberately caused his or her own death." . The strategy does not seek to define suicide as a rational or irrational act. Every suicide is irrational.
The He Aranga report recommended the government set a goal for the government's suicide prevention strategy to reduce the suicide rate by 20% by 2030. The Minister of Health, Dr. David Clark, said : "We are not ready to sign to a suicide target because every life counts, and a death by suicide, that's one of too much … This government is determined to tackle our terrible report on suicide. "
The Prime Minister is congratulated for saying: "We were very reluctant to send a message, especially to bereaved families, that suicide was tolerant in New Zealand. Every life counts and it is important that we send this message, "the government will create a suicide prevention office. If this bill backed by the Prime Minister is pbaded, it will create a euthanasia review panel to review the legality of badisted suicide. Is not this contrary to the purpose of the suicide prevention strategy?
How can the government, on the one hand, say that it is going to invest $ 40 million in a suicide prevention strategy to reduce the number of suicides in New Zealand, while investing in money? Assisted suicide by a doctor? If the EOLCB bill were pbaded, that would be the possibility that would give doctors the power to kill their patients or help them commit suicide.
Ken Orr
Spokesperson,
Right to life
Content from scoop.co.nz
Origin URL
Source link
