Most J’cans not ready for euthanasia talk, says doctor
WHILE educator, suicide counsellor and trauma therapist Dr Sandra Hamilton has never encountered a patient who’s expressed a desire for euthanasia, she believes it has a place in Jamaica.
But at least one pastor and a general practitioner disagree.
Euthanasia is the act of deliberately ending a person’s life to relieve suffering.
“Public education is required, plus education of the medical profession[als]. [The] religious underpinnings of our country and the numerous denominations that carry black/white views could result in families of those choosing this to be stigmatised,” said Dr Hamilton.
She went on to state that, as a therapist, she accepts that her patients process things differently, so she’s open-minded.
With the population in Jamaica being predominantly Christian, Pastor Leon Langley — who has served at the Asia Seventh-day Adventist Church in southern Manchester for over a decade — questioned how ethical the practice is, since it is not legal in most countries.
The first country to legalise euthanasia was the Netherlands in 2002, and since then active euthanasia has been legalised in eight other countries. Passive euthanasia on the other hand, which is the refusal of treatment and withdrawal of life, is legal in numerous countries.
“I’ve been to houses to pray over people with terminally ill diseases but they all wished for more time, not death. I believe people should carry the Lord in their decisions and trust in him,” Langley said.
Dr Kharla Wright, a general practitioner in Mandeville, Manchester, shares similar sentiments.
“I don’t think Jamaica is ready for euthanasia, and I don’t recall there ever being a case of euthanasia in Jamaica — maybe because there is no need,” she said.
Acknowledging that dying is a sensitive topic and should be handled with care, Dr Wright said she believes most Jamaicans are not ready for a topic like euthanasia.
Ultimately, Jamaica’s approach to euthanasia, if it becomes a topic, must be aligned with the country’s religious and cultural beliefs and should be informed by broad public consultation, she added.
