Portuguese in favour of palliative care vs. euthanasia

Publié le 15 Jun, 2018

Several draft bills have been put forward in favour of euthanasia in Portugal. The Portuguese Parliament must debate and vote on these bills on 29 May.

 

In the lead-up to these debates, the Portuguese Marketing Research Institute (MRI) called for a survey on palliative care and euthanasia on the Portuguese platform, “Pensar e Debater”. The results were published on 18 May.

 

They show that only 7% of the Portuguese population are in favour of euthanasia compared to 89% who advocate palliative care and patient support in the event of a serious disease.

 

This survey highlights the main concerns of people whose lives are drawing to a close:

  • 72% are afraid of suffering,
  • 61% are afraid of being a burden to family and friends,
  • 35% are afraid of being alone.

It shows that 85% of the Portuguese people interviewed want support more than anything else. The vast majority (73%) know that palliative care helps to minimise physical and mental suffering. Three-quarters of those interviewed (75%) did not know that patients have the right to refuse care and that Portuguese legislation prohibits prolonged artificial life support. Last but not least, 67% of people interviewed believe that legalisation would pose risks of abuse: pressure on the elderly or vulnerable (67%), euthanasia without the patient’s consent (57%) and financial risks (53%).

IEB (23/05/2018) – 89 % des Portugais préfèrent les soins palliatifs à l’euthanasie

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