Discussion on euthanasia in Latvia that was delayed by Covid is being raised again

Due to citizens collecting the necessary number of signatures to submit an initiative to the Saeima on the legalization of euthanasia, the issue that the Ministry of Health and doctors worked on before the Covid pandemic - termination or non-maintenance of a person's life if they are terminally ill - will become topical. A difficult debate on this issue is expected in the Saeima.

The public initiative portal Manabalss.lv has collected 10 thousand signatures on the initiative to legalize euthanasia in Latvia. The collection of signatures started in March 2017. The aim of the initiative "For a Good Death" is to legalize euthanasia in Latvia.

"Euthanasia is intended to cause the death of another person to alleviate their inevitable and irreversible pain and suffering. It is used when a terminally ill person suffers from unbearable pain or is in deep unconsciousness with no hope of recovery, and it enables a person to end their life with dignity without becoming a burden to themselves and others,” says the author of the initiative Pēteris Buks.

Facing a difficult choice

The issue of legalization of euthanasia in Latvia became topical at the time (2016-2017) when the society donated the necessary amount to fulfill the last wish of the terminally ill Viesturs Bundža so he could go to Switzerland, which is known as a destination for euthanasia tourism.

At that time, the Ministry of Health stated that the legalization of euthanasia in Latvia was not on the ministry's agenda. The then Minister of Health Guntis Belēvičs (ZZS) said that this is a political decision and Latvia is not ready for it yet.

The situation has not changed much since then, but parliament could at least refer this initiative for evaluation in committees. However, the further progress is difficult to predict.

Ainars Latkovskis, representing the New Unity (Jaunā Vienotība) in the Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee of the Saeima, is ready to support the transfer of the initiative to the responsible Social and Employment Matters Committee, but the issue must still be discussed in the faction.

"We have not yet discussed it in the faction. If you ask for my opinion as a member of a committee, then in most cases I have supported the discussion at the committee level. Therefore, I will probably support the referral to the Social and Employment Matters Committee. A discussion may be necessary, but that is just my opinion and when the time comes we'll talk about it in the faction," says the politician.

Andris Skride (Development/For!, Attīstībai/Par!), a physician working for the Mandates, Ethics and Submissions Committee and chairman of Social and Employment Matters Committee, supports the initiative in essence. However, he remarks that Latvian society must be introduced to euthanasia slowly and they could initially introduce a regulation that would allow doctors not to resuscitate a person who is terminally ill. In addition, such rules should be accompanied by a detailed list of the diseases and conditions to which the procedure should apply.

Vitālijs Orlovs, a physician representing Harmony (Saskaņa) and a member of the Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee, mentioned that if forced by circumstances, he would wish to get euthanized, but would not want to impose such an obligation on other physicians.

"If, God forbid, I have an illness that cannot be cured, I would probably be one of those who would ask doctors to do it, to help me pass away, but I can't force other people, to offer them such a solution, because life is given from a parent or God. This issue is not that easy," says the deputy, who supports at least starting the discussion.

The basis for the discussion has been laid

Minister of Health Daniels Pavļuts (Development/For!, Attīstībai/Par!), when asked if he supports the legalization of euthanasia, answers that this is a question "to which a simple answer should not be given". The Minister emphasizes that this issue requires a serious discussion both among professionals and the public - on medical, ethical and other considerations.

And such a discussion - before the Covid-19 pandemic turned our daily lives upside down - had already begun and even brought tangible results. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, physicians, lawyers, and medical ethicists, a bill was drafted that would allow physicians, under certain circumstances, not to resuscitate a patient with a disease that would soon end their life, despite all medical efforts. At present, doctors do not have such a right.

"The working group did not touch on euthanasia. It touched on the issue of stopping treatment if a person, under certain circumstances, decides that prolonging their life would not be worth it,” says Anna Žabicka, a medical anthropologist and the former adviser to the former Minister of Health Ilze Viņķele.

The expert believes that the availability of very precisely regulated euthanasia in Latvia is necessary, but it must be gradual, and the first step could be assisted suicide - a process in which the patient themself puts an end to their life without putting a complicated moral and ethical dilemma on stopping human life or extending their torment on the shoulders of the doctor.

"I don't think it's worth talking about whether the society is ready or not - the society can get accustomed to various issues, and 10 thousand signatures show that the society is ready for it. However, I am afraid that this issue will get stuck in the Saeima,” says A. Žabicka.