Thailand Gives Green Light To Living Wills

[george]

Cabinet gives green light to living wills

BANGKOK: -- The Cabinet Tuesday gave the green light to living wills.

Under the draft decree, health professionals will honour a dying patient's wish to forego treatment during the terminal stage if it can only prolong life.

The draft prepared by the National Health Commission Office will now go to the Council of State for review.

-- The Nation 2009-12-08

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[LawnGnome]

A good thing.

[doggie888888]

Better update our wills !!!

[Artisi]

With some of the so-called medical treatment evolving round administering drug after drug as a form of treatment for everything from an ingrown toenail to a common cold, I can understand many people wishing to withhold further treatment.

[jaideeguy]

Was told by my 90yr old father's dr that living wills are honored here [3yrs ago]....maybe not legally, but no one wants to suffer>>..right?

What I'm concerned about is euthanasia here and enquired about administration of heavy pain meds to 'end all pain' [when the time comes] and was told that is illegal here and strictly enforced.

My question is.....are there any neighboring countries that honor the right to choose when and where you go on that 'final' trip??

[Artisi]

Just goes to show you the stupidity of "Western" medicine.They will pump you full of drugs all your life mostly when not necessary or prescribe many drugs of dependence "cause you're down and need a lift or what ever excuse is needed , but when it comes to the crunch and you are at deaths door in pain etc without any quality of life they withhold the drugs that can ease you along for the short time you are here - why are they withheld? - because they are drugs of addiction and you might become dependant on them.

Have you every heard of anything as stupid.

[Artisi]

jaideeguy - I have sent you a private message.

[siddv]

BFD. Yes now I can sleep comfortably Give me a break....suckers

[fsuthai]

jaideeguy - I have sent you a private message.

Hi Artisi:

I'm [email protected], and just wonder if I could get you to copy that private message on to me. It's not just idle curiosity for I'm an early septuagenarian, retired and living happily in the ChiangMai area. But, some maybe/maybe not curable health issues and I've always been determined not to linger around very long after any chronic and/or untreatable pain sets in. And, since I'm convinced that I have other places to go and things to do, I certainly don't want to be hooked up to tubes in some hospital until my Thai wife goes into debt over ridiculous medical bills.

I would definitely feel better having a "living will" and hope Thailand gives it final approval. Nonetheless, a final trip to some interesting, neighboring country to have a final & legal exit would be nice. Always loved to travel!

Chok dee,

Paul Hammond

[ronwparker]

jaideeguy - I have sent you a private message.

Can you please send the same to me Artisi

[tig28]

Just goes to show you the stupidity of "Western" medicine.They will pump you full of drugs all your life mostly when not necessary or prescribe many drugs of dependence "cause you're down and need a lift or what ever excuse is needed , but when it comes to the crunch and you are at deaths door in pain etc without any quality of life they withhold the drugs that can ease you along for the short time you are here - why are they withheld? - because they are drugs of addiction and you might become dependant on them.

Have you every heard of anything as stupid.

Hi Artisi

Many things in the practice of medicine in the west are stupid. In particular the widespread illegality of personally requested euthanasia.

But to defend the stupid a little ---- I have never encountered the particular stupidity you describe ....

Many western doctors regard narcotic treatment of chronic and intractable pain as the devils work!! They would prefer to allow suffering than attempt to remove/minimize the agony of their patients by treatment with narcotic pain control. This they justify with the thought you posed : "because they are drugs of addiction and they might become dependent on them.". A very courageous view from someone who is not suffering extreme pain!! They should be strung-up!!

Having said this ---- I have never found similar entrenched opposition (Aust & NZ) to aggressively treating terminally ill patients for pain control --- aggressively to the degree that respiratory failure occurs painlessly during sleep. There is some dignity in a painless death that is hard to find in extended suffering.

This new decree in Thailand may circumvent a problem I have been informed has prevented most Thai Physicians from employing euthanasia --- which related to the Buddhist disapproval of taking any life. This position --- I have been led to believe --- was supported in Thai law.

Perhaps now --- some sanity --- some dignity.