An 80-year-old man who killed his paralyzed wife in Shau Kei Wan did it to spare her from further suffering, his younger brother said. <\/p>\n
He said the condition of his sister-in-law had deteriorated when he visited the couple during the Tuen Ng festival, news website hk01.com reports. <\/p>\n
Half of her body was paralyzed. My brother gave her massages, cooked for her and bathed her, he said. <\/p>\n
He said that as euthanasia is illegal in Hong Kong, his brother had no choice but to kill his wife to end her misery. <\/p>\n
In December, Secretary for Food and Health Ko Wing-man said the government had no plans to legalize euthanasia or hold any public consultations on it. <\/p>\n
Ko said there had been some requests for euthanasia from terminally ill patients who later changed their minds after being given proper palliative care. <\/p>\n
Ko said patients can use advance directive to spell out decisions about end-of-life care ahead of time. <\/p>\n
Lawmaker Shiu Ka-chun, who represents the social welfare functional constituency, said euthanasia is an issue civilized societies cannot avoid. <\/p>\n
He said he hoped the Shau Kei Wan tragedy could induce more public discussions on the controversial subject. <\/p>\n
Former lawmaker Cheung Kwok-che, said that while society can discuss and debate euthanasia, legislation alone cannot help prevent cases as happened in Shau Kei Wan. <\/p>\n
Cheung said there are are strict requirements for legal euthanasia to be given, including certain medical conditions, and not just the will of the patient. <\/p>\n
According to Ko, euthanasia is only legal in a few countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. <\/p>\n
Edward Leung Man-fuk, chairperson of the Hong Kong Association of Gerontology, said euthanasia or advance directive is the giving up of interventional treatment on a terminally ill patient. However, such conditions are not applicable for patients who suffered a stroke. <\/p>\n
Leung said it is more important to improve the support system of the patients caregivers to avoid tragedies. <\/p>\n
With Hong Kongs population rapidly aging, Leung said the government should review the relevant policies to tackle the issue. <\/p>\n
In Taiwan, family caregivers can opt to take a short break from their long-term caregiving with government providing temporary caregivers. <\/p>\n
This way, family caregivers who can choose to stay on premises provided by the government for a short period, can take a break from the burdens of looking after ailing family members. <\/p>\n
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Shau Kei Wan tragedy sparks debate on euthanasia - EJ Insight<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" An 80-year-old man who killed his paralyzed wife in Shau Kei Wan did it to spare her from further suffering, his younger brother said. He said the condition of his sister-in-law had deteriorated when he visited the couple during the Tuen Ng festival, news website hk01.com reports. Half of her body was paralyzed. Continue reading