That’s right, dying just got even easier, if you live in the Netherlands. The Levenseindekliniek, or Life-end clinic, has launched the country’s first mobile euthanasia unit that will come to you if you have been given approval to die.

The Netherlands, which became the first country in the world to legalise euthanasia in April 2002, approves some 3 100 “mercy killings” annually.

As of today, patients, whose doctors refuse to carry out the euthanasia procedure on their behalf, will be able to order take-away death.

The Life-end clinic will have six specialised mobile teams, equipped with a doctor and a nurse, which will come to you.

This will effectively allow death to knock at your door.

Spokeswoman for the Right to Die-NL group, Walburg de Jong, explained:

From Thursday, the Levenseindekliniek [Life-end clinic] will have mobile teams where people who think they comply to the criteria for euthanasia can register. If they comply, the teams will carry out the euthanasia at patients’ homes should their normal doctors be unable or refuse to help them.

Not only will the service be available all over the Netherlands, but it would also be done free of charge, too.

Eric van Wijlick, of the Royal Dutch Society of Doctors, had ethical concerns:

We are not against euthanasia if there is no other alternative. But euthanasia is a complicated process. It comes from the long-time treatment of a patient based on a relationship of trust.

A holistic view of the patient’s treatment needs to be taken, including whether another alternative to euthanasia exists. We have serious doubts whether this can be done by a doctor who is only focused on performing euthanasia.

Thoughtfully, the Netherlands has strict legal criteria that exist for patients who request euthanasia.

Patients must be fully mentally alert when making the request to die.

Families, for instance, cannot request euthanasia for their annoying mother-in-law.

Patients must face a future of what is described as an “unbearable, interminable suffering,” to be able to order euthanasia, and both the patient and the doctor must be in agreement that there is no other cure.

Doctors must also get a second opinion on the matter, but the new mobile service promised to alleviate this problem because patients would’ve already been preapproved to die.

[Source: Sky]