Posted on 08/11/2006 4:27:01 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Palliative care personnel in Belgium are complaining that a changeover in the pharmaceutical market has rendered them unable to euthanize their patients, Expatica reported on Wednesday.
The problem occurred after the U.S. manufacturers of Pentothal, the “euthanasia drug,” transferred their license to another firm. Since then the flow of the drug into Belgium has stopped. According to The Brussels Journal a change-over in the method of packaging the drug is the cause of the sudden lack of supply.
Palliative care workers are deeply concerned about the dearth of Pentothal. Without the drug they say it is impossible to comfortably kill the on-average 30 patients a month who are officially euthanized in Belgium, as well as the speculated much larger number of patients whose deaths by euthanasia go unregistered as such.
“Our supply [of Pentothal] is completely finished,” said Marc Cornely, a spokesman for a large chain of Belgium pharmacies.
“We have been without [Pentothal] for weeks now,” complained professor Wim Distelmans, a palliative care professor at the VUB. “The intention of euthanasia is to bring the patient into an in an irreversible coma in an elegant and reliable manner. Pentothal is the only drug which can do this.”
The new producer of the drug, Hospira, however, has said that the shortage could soon come to an end, as they have a stockpile of 4,000 bottles of Pentothal which could be pumped into the market once the proper paperwork is filed. Initially it was feared that it could be as long as three months before Belgium’s palliative care givers were able to kill their patients, but with Hospira’s emergency plan that time could be cut down to several weeks.
Alex Schadenberg the executive director of Canada’s euthanasia prevention coalition, pointed out the dark irony of the earnest concern of Belgium’s palliative care and pharmaceutical agencies.
“This proves how the dignity of the person has been lost in Belgium,” he said. “When it is considered a medical emergency that they do not have the necessary drug to kill people. People don't need to be killed they need to receive excellent end of life care. They then die with true dignity, being cared for with proper pain and symptom management with care to the persons physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual needs.
“Euthanasia is not a medical act and should not be administered within the framework of palliative care within Belgium.”
Brave New World has arrived.
Belgians report a crisis: there are too many Belgians; they aren't dying quickly enough.
Cultural pessimism reveals itself in so many ways.
I thought this was a satire when I first read it, then I found the original source at Expatica (news site for expatriot Belgians) and it's apparently true.
Euthanasia drug in short supply
9 August 2006
BRUSSELS — An emergency solution was at hand on Tuesday to a shortage of a euthanasia drug in Belgium that had threatened to make the performing of mercy killings almost impossible.
The problem developed after the producer of the drug Pentothal transferred its licence onto another firm, newspaper 'De Morgen' reported on Tuesday.
Pentothal is Belgium's pre-eminent euthanasia drug and there is no alternative medicine.
"We have now been without it for a couple of weeks," a palliative care professor at the VUB, Wim Distelmans, said.
"With euthanasia, the intention is that patients are brought into an irreversible coma in an elegant and definite manner. Pentothal is
the only means that comes into consideration."
The problem developed after US pharmaceutical firm Abbott passed the production of the drug onto its spin-off company Hospira.
The transfer of the licence caused administrative and supply problems, but Hospira said on Tuesday it has lodged all of the necessary papers with authorities and hopes to quickly have the drug available again.
It has a stock of 4,000 bottles of Pentothal which can be quickly released onto the market, VRT reported. That would be sufficient for a month.
A spokesman from Multipharma — which runs 200 pharmacies in Belgium — had earlier confirmed the seriousness of the problem.
"Our supply is completely finished," Marc Cornely said.
It had initially been feared that it would take three months before the drug would become available again.
On average, there are 30 registered euthanasia deaths every month in Belgium. However, it is estimated that double that amount actually take place.
That means that up to 180 people who wish to die a dignified death in coming months could be denied the chance, unless normal Pentothal supplies can be restored or the drug is obtained from abroad.
[Copyright Expatica News 2006]
Hmmmm....California could use some help from the Belgians euthanising our death row convicts.
There. Fixed it.
Awe, can't kill granny and take her house and money. Awe.
just use scissors to the skull, like the abortionists do. i bet it will be very "progressive" of them. /sarc
Wow. Like "Hospice" plus "Expire." These people are going to drive Onion out of business...reality keeps outpacing satire...
Very elegant....yet dignified.
These people are old weak and sick, Just use a Garrote.
>>>>>>>>S<<<<<
SOYLENT GREEN IS BELGIANS!!
YEEEeeeeaaaAAGGGHHHH!!!!!
like opening the spigot on a morphine drip wouldn't painlessly do the job nicely...
Why sure; that's a heck of an idea!
I'll donate a shop vac! And I can probably find a spare set of scissors around the hose somewhere. Where do I ship em?
It was very intentionally chosen, I'm sure...not exactly an unbiased article--check the source! It's from a "pro-life-at-all-costs,who-cares-about-what-you-want" site.
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