“Terminal sedation” different from euthanasia, Dutch ministers agree

The Dutch ministers of health and justice have rejected a call from the attorney general, Joan de Wijkerslooth, for “terminal sedation” to be covered by the same legal controls as euthanasia. Dutch doctors have welcomed, however, the distinction drawn between euthanasia and terminal sedation, in which a dying patient is given pain relief that induces a permanent coma.

Terminal sedation and the withdrawal of artificial feeding and hydration …