Oregon daily emerald., December 01, 2004, Page 5, Image 5

Dutch hospital discovers euthanasia practices
The recently proposed infant mercy killings were found
to he practiced in Holland before recent legalization
BY TOBY STERLING
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — A
hospital in the Netherlands — the
first nation to permit euthanasia —
recently proposed guidelines for
mercy killings of terminally ill new
borns and then made a startling rev
elation: It has already begun carry
ing out such procedures, which
include administering a lethal dose
of sedatives.
The announcement by the Gronin
gen Academic Hospital came amid a
growing discussion in Holland of
whether to legalize euthanasia for
people incapable of deciding for
themselves whether they want to end
their lives — a prospect viewed with
horror by euthanasia opponents and
as a natural evolution by advocates.
In August, the main Dutch doc
tors’ association KNMG urged the
Health Ministry to create an inde
pendent board to review euthanasia
cases for terminally ill people “with
no free will,” including children, the
severely mentally retarded and peo
ple left in an irreversible coma after
an accident.
The Health Ministry is preparing its
response, which could come as soon
as December, a spokesman said.
Three years ago, the Dutch parlia
ment made it legal for doctors to in
ject a sedative and a lethal dose of
muscle relaxant at the request of
adult patients suffering great pain
with no hope of relief.
The Groningen Protocol, as the
hospital’s guidelines have come to be
known, would create a legal frame
work for permitting doctors to active
ly end the life of newborns deemed to
be in similar pain from incurable dis
ease or extreme deformities.
The guideline says euthanasia is
acceptable when the child's medical
team and independent doctors agree
Rainstorm in Philippines kills
nearly 340; typhoon possible
Rescue workers struggle to reach stranded citizens after
landslides and flash floods hatter the Quezon province
BY PAT ROQUE
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MARAGONDON, Philippines —
A powerful rainstorm triggered
landslides and flash floods that
killed nearly 340 people in the east
ern Philippines, officials said Tues
day, and rescuers raced to save
those stranded in three coastal
towns before a typhoon strikes the
hard-hit region.
At least 150 people were reported
missing, and the region was largely
cut off by landslides and floodwaters
that washed away bridges and roads.
Helicopter crews struggled to find
places to land and dropped food to
residents huddled on rooftops.
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Authorities planned to send a
coast guard boat to three stricken
towns in Quezon province, east of
the capital, to deliver supplies or
pick up evacuees. Forecasters pre
dicted a new typhoon circling off
the Pacific coast could hit the area
as early as Wednesday.
Social Welfare Secretary Corazon
Soliman went to Quezon province
Tliesday following the overnight
storm and reported that at least 306
people were killed and 150 others
were missing. Thirty-two people died
elsewhere, authorities said.
Soliman said bad weather and
PHILIPINES, page 12
Storm kills 338
The death toll from landslides
and flash floods rose to 338 in
the eastern Philippines, after a
typhoon last week.
the pain cannot be eased and there is
no prospect for improvement, and
when parents think it’s best.
Examples include extremely pre
mature births when children suffer
brain damage from bleeding and
convulsions, and diseases that a
child could only survive on life sup
port for the rest of his or her life,
such as severe cases of spina bifida
and epidermolysis bullosa, a rare
blistering illness.
The hospital has revealed it carried
out four such mercy killings in 2003
and reported all cases to government
prosecutors. There have been no le
gal proceedings against the hospital
or the doctors.
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