Assisted-Dying Blog

U P D A T E
THE POSIBILITY OF PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE FOR THE TERMINALLY OR HOPELESSLY ILL, COMPETENT, ADULT PERSON IN SWITZERLAND
Issued by ERGO for information only

Physician-assisted suicide is legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Colombia, Albania, Switzerland, and the US states of Washington, Montana and Oregon. All have their own criteria.
Except for Switzerland, the laws confine the procedure to residents only, and under strict conditions. Switzerland alone allows foreigners to come for hastened death, provided it is altruistic, not profit-making nor of evil intent. There are other right-to-die organizations in Switzerland who help only their own members to die; DIGNITAS will help foreign visitors to die in cases which they and their cooperating doctors feel justified because of the terminal suffering. The person must be a competent adult.

The Dignitas association is in Forch, near Zürich, Switzerland, and therefore operates under Swiss law, which, since l942, has permitted assisted suicide, with or without a doctor. ‘Assisted suicide’ in this instance means drinking a lethal overdose of a barbiturate provided by Dignitas and their cooperating doctors. Euthanasia (direct lethal injection) is illegal and not done. Swiss authorities are informed of all deaths as a matter of course. There are fees to be paid for membership, assessment of requests, doctor’s consultation, the accompanied suicide, etc
Dignitas provides a comprehensive brochure which includes information on the costs. Each completion of an accompanied suicide may cost up to $10,500 USD, which includes all administration fees, payment to collaborators and funeral as well as cremation.
Traveling expenses to Switzerland and accommodation are the visitor’s responsibility. It is necessary to spend at least four days in Switzerland for the necessary administrative processes to take place. In advance, a person must become a member by filling out a declaration of membership and pay a modest registration fee and annual subscription.
In certain cases, after considerable investigation, Dignitas may help an adult with long-time, severe, incurable mental illness to die. This does not happen often.
We have never heard of any legal problems for Americans going to Dignitas in Switzerland. We don’t think there are any.
DO NOT SEND MONEY IN ADVANCE, OR GO TO SWITZERLAND, WITHOUT A WRITTEN AGREEMENT BEFOREHAND THAT SERVICE WILL BE PROVIDED IN YOUR CASE.

How to contact Dignitas in Switzerland: they must be fully informed IN ADVANCE of a person’s wishes, circumstances, medical condition, see the medical records, and agree to help. Many cases are declined. It is definitely not a ‘walk-in’ clinic.
Email: info@dignitas.ch Web: http://www.dignitas.ch
Mailing address:-
P O Box 9 – CH 8127 Forch, Switzerland
Telephone: +41-44-980 44 59 or +41-44-366-10-70
Contact: anyone in the Dignitas office.
Secretary-General: Ludwig A Minelli, attorney
Dignitas is a member of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies.
*******************************************************
This is an informing message as a public service from ERGO in Oregon, USA. Accurate as at 4/12/2010 **************************************************

ERGO in USA web: www.finalexit.org
Email: ergo@finalexit.org
Get the famous DIY handbook ‘Final Exit’ at ERGO’s
bookstore: www.finalexit.org/ergo-store

Tags: Assisted Suicide, Derek Humphry, Dignitas, dignitas switzerland, Final Exit, hemlock society, Nembutal, physician assisted death, physician-assisted suicide, terminal illness