On December 22, Cuba’s Communist-run National Assembly of People’s Power approved euthanasia as a part of its new ‘universal healthcare,’ though it first must also be approved by the Legislature.
The draft of the new regulations that have been approved by the Cuban Assembly was reported by Reuters to include that “the right of people to a dignified death is recognized in decisions at the end of life which may include limitation of therapeutic effort, continuing or palliative care, and valid life-ending procedures.” This is intended to only be used by individuals with “chronic degenerative and irreversible diseases, with intractable suffering, who are in the dying or terminal phase of life or who have suffered injuries that place them in this condition.” However, as Canada has shown, assisted death laws can be weakened to include individuals with non-life-threatening concerns, including homelessness.
This false idea of “dignified death” has now killed 49,958 Canadian people as of November 2023. But dignified isn’t exactly the way it’s turning out. Many Canadian doctors offering euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide drugs are beginning to encourage euthanasia for in-office administration of the drugs to prevent side effects such as prolonged dying, drowning, and other painful sensations.
The difference between euthanasia and assisted suicide is the administration. Euthanasia often includes a lethal injection or other medications in which the prescriber must be present to administer; while in assisted suicide, the patient can take the drugs on their own without supervision.
READ: Why do people request assisted suicide? A survey reveals disturbing reasons.
According to a 2019 report on Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program, “Prior research has suggested that providers are less comfortable with self-administration [assisted suicide] due to concerns around the ability of the patient to effectively self-administer the series of medications, and the complications that may ensue.” In other words, people killed by MAiD are taking longer to die with more violent complications than expected.
As Live Action News has reported, the journal Anesthesia showed that up to a third of those who took assisted suicide drugs were alive for 30 hours following the initial taking of the drugs, and four percent were alive for up to seven days. One study explained that many further complications from these drugs are unknown as there is no one to report the effects to a doctor. Another study has since noted effects such as burning from the poison cocktail, screaming in pain, nausea, vomiting, and regurgitation.
Dr. Joel Zivot, an associate professor of anesthesiology and surgery, is considered an expert on “physician participation in lethal injection.” He explained, “People who want to die deserve to know that they may end up drowning, not just falling asleep.” An autopsy of a man who took assisted suicide medications found that he “drowned in his own fluids” according to Dr. Zivot.
In addition to legalizing euthanasia, Cuba’s updated ‘healthcare’ regulations may including stronger protections for the so-called ‘right’ to abortion.
