End of life: doctors still divided on the question of euthanasia

For the 184 members of the citizens’ convention on the end of life, the law must be changed. 76% of them are for active assistance in dying, 23% are against. The person at the end of life should have the choice between assisted suicide or euthanasia. In palliative care services, such as at the Curie hospital in Paris, doctors are mostly against euthanasia. Dr Alexis Burnodboss of palliative care service, explains: “We, as caregivers, our visceral commitment […] it is to help people to live when they are crossed by illness, handicap, old age. […] For us, the act of causing death is not an act of care.“

“A real choice for every citizen”

On the contrary, for Dr. Anne Vivien, a former anesthesiologist, the law must evolve, drawing inspiration from the citizens’ convention. “This is exactly what we are asking the Association for the Right to Die in Dignity, that is to say a real choice for each citizen to be able to decide on the conditions of their end of life in France.“Since 2019, Belgian doctors have been increasingly asked for euthanasia by French families.