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The Municipality of Ghent is setting up an Euthanasia Desk
Next to the wedding hall, a euthanasia counter? The city of Ghent, Belgium, is considering it: the municipality intends to open an information desk providing information on the various options available for end-of-life. This brand-new office, known as the "end-of-life counter", is to be located in the town hall and aims to help citizens with the administrative procedures involved. The idea is to make their lives easier, particularly when it comes to registering an end-of-life will, a document setting out advance directives that allows people to express their wish for euthanasia in the event of coma or a vegetative state (dementia and Alzheimer's disease are excluded from the scheme under current Belgian law).
In any case, in the beautiful medieval city of Ghent, we are moving towards a situation where euthanasia will be presented as a standard public service.
The municipality of Ghent joins forces with euthanasia advocates
The city of Ghent already has an operational and cooperation agreement with LEIF (the End-of-Life Information Forum), which has access to local service centres to hold conferences and information sessions, particularly for senior citizens and their family carers, while specialist psychologists also contribute.
The establishment of a permanent office marks a new stage. Civil affairs alderman Burak Nalli is delighted: "Citizens who wish to do so will now be able to obtain immediate administrative support for registering their last wishes, euthanasia or organ donation."
Read also our open letter to the mayor of Ghent: Religious Persecution in Flanders: In Ghent you can do anything but publicly practice the Catholic faith?
An "end-of-life" counter to facilitate administrative procedures
The new office will be run by volunteers from LEIF, an association that campaigns for a "dignified end of life" and makes no secret of its pro-euthanasia stance. In particular, it has launched a petition to allow people with dementia to be euthanised, even if they are unable to express their wishes at the time of death.
Local government employees in Ghent who will be working in the new office will also receive special training so that they can provide accurate information, according to local press reports.
We predicted this "bureaucratisation of death" a year ago...