존엄사법 1년... 3만 6천여명 연명치료 중단
In 2018, a new law allowing patients to refuse life-sustaining treatment was passed.
Since then, thousands of patients and their families have decided to spend the last moments of their lives in comfort rather than at a hospital.
Lee Min-sun has the full story.
A year has passed since the so-called well-dying law came into effect on February 4th last year. Since then, thousands of end-stage patients have refused or ended life-prolonging medical care.
The health ministry and Korea National Institute for Bioethics Policy released data on Thursday showing more Koreans accepted the idea of death with dignity but that it still was more of a family decision.
A year after the law took effect, more than 36-thousand end-stage patients have either decided to end or not to receive life-prolonging medical treatment. In April last year, only about 3-thousand patients agreed to end life-sustaining treatment.
Such treatment refers to medical procedures such as CPR, respiration equipment, and anti-cancer drugs... that extend life without treating the underlying illness.
About 60% of end-stage patients were men.
And most patients suffered from cancer followed by respiratory, heart and brain diseases.
The data also showed that seven out of ten decisions were made by family members rather than the patient.
The law states that the decision is up to the patients if he or she is able to communicate, but if a patient is unable to communicate or express their will, family members can make the decision with confirmation from two doctors.
To avoid burdening their family with a difficult decision, over one-hundred-ten thousand people signed Advance Medical Directives to decide on their preference about life-prolonging care.
Lee Min-sun, Arirang News.
