Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/640308
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 2016 News 11 stand on euthanasia to the issue of euthanasia is the sacredness of human life," add- ing that before having a national debate people need to be formed and informed about euthanasia's many facets – ethical, moral, medical, spiritual, psychological – a process which requires time and which would need to be held in the best interest of society. Moreover, moral theologian Nadia Delicata explained that in her teaching on euthanasia, the Church maintains a clear balance between "two truths: that life is a gift from God that is sacred and therefore demands our utmost respect. But also that human life is not absolute: we are made of flesh and blood, our bodies are fragile and death is part of the human condition." Delicata said euthanasia "is not about acknowledging the in- evitability of death or of dying a peaceful death. Euthanasia is a form of actively taking away the life of a person, and therefore it is a form of killing, just like mur- der or suicide." But, the moral theologian said, there are times when the medical technologies themselves – some- times even more than the illness or physical condition – become a burden. "The medical procedures no longer seek to heal the person or to improve their life, but simply to postpone the inevitability of death. In this sense, treatments become 'extraordinary', or out of proportion to the good that they seek to achieve. The treatment itself causes more suffering than healing; it disrupts and makes life seem mechanical, rather than improving it. In these cases, the Church offers the comfort of her pastoral care and in particular of the sacraments, to accompany the person who is dying." Majority of doctors oppose euthanasia An analogous position emerges from a recent study carried out among doctors in Malta. The study, published last year, re- vealed that an overwhelming majority of Malta's general prac- titioners oppose euthanasia but they also agree with withdrawing or withholding treatment in cer- tain cases. The study, published in the Malta Medical Journal, was car- ried out by Jurgen Abela from the University of Malta's depart- ment of family medicine. Speaking to MaltaToday, Abela said the issue of euthanasia must be seen in a wider context, which might include also advance care planning and proper palliative care, rather than just a matter of ending life. Noting that the majority of GPs are against euthanasia, Abela however said that "a majority of doctors agree that medical treat- ment can be withheld if deemed to be futile". 14.4% of GPs said they had re- ceived requests for euthanasia but 89.1% of them would never consider euthanasia. 89.8% of respondents considered their respective religion or philoso- phy of life as being important or "very important" in guiding their end-of-life decisions. Interestingly, a relative major- ity of respondents (45.3%) agreed that patients had a right to de- cide whether to hasten their end or not. But there was a significant agreement (70.5%) that physi- cians should always aim to pre- serve life. Respondents had cared for an average four terminal patients over a period of 12 months. The study showed that 15% of GPs withdrew or withheld treat- ment. Moreover, the majority of GPs (58.1%) agreed with the process of withdrawing or with- holding various forms of treat- ment at the end of life once these are deemed futile. This response might seem to contradict the strong sense of preserving life. But the study notes that withdrawing or with- holding treatment cannot be equated to euthanasia; rather it is a practical approach to dealing with situations where treatment is ineffective. The aim is never that of hastening death. Dignity in death Medical Association of Malta president Martin Balzan told MaltaToday that to date the as- sociation has supported the view of the "patient dying with dig- nity". He also stressed that MAM be- lieves that once proper palliative care is delivered in terminal ill- ness, with optimum pain control, and psychological and moral support of patient and close fam- ily members the requests for eu- thanasia would be minimal. While saying that the associa- tion has not carried out a sur- vey among its members over the matter, the regulatory authority on ethical issues is the Medical Council. MEPA sanctions 'extremely abusive' development after 20-year saga JAMES DEBONO THE Malta Environment and Planning Authority has regu- larised a large 60 square me- tre "agricultural store" in Ta' Blankas, Xewkija, that had been described as "an ex- tremely abusive" development in a sentence issued by the En- vironment and Review Tribu- nal in 2012. Back in 2000 an appeals tri- bunal turned down an applica- tion to regularise the develop- ment, because this was being used for "residential" purposes and not as an agricultural store. The building, owned by Paul Vella, was built over two levels, occupying a total floor space of 76 sq.m over its 60 sq.m foot- print – equivalent in size to a small dwelling. Two previous applications presented in 1997 and 2004 to regularise the building had been turned down by MEPA, and an appeals tribunal con- firmed both refusals in 2000 and 2012. The site lies within an ar- chaeological buffer zone, in view of cart ruts, megaliths and dolmens located in the surrounding area. The development is now being sanctioned in view of aerial photos showing that the illegal building already existed in 1994 – something allowed by MEPA's new rural policy that offers a "presumption in favour of existing storage fa- cilities erected before October 1994". But the MEPA case officer recommending approval states that "the site and layout of the existing structures suggest that these were originally intended for residential purposes". In 2000 the appeals tribunal had described the develop- ment as "a residential devel- opment used for domestic and non-agricultural purposes"; and in 2012, it said it was an "extremely abusive" develop- ment that had "uglified the countryside in the most obvi- ous and evident way… This is a clear example of what should never be allowed in the coun- tryside". On that occasion, owner Paul Vella, a part-time farmer, in- sisted that he was unemployed and that he needed the build- ing for wine pressing so that he could make this a full-time job. The development is located in an enormous backyard of a residence located 50 metres away. In 1997 Vella had admit- ted in his application that the proposal was not intended for agricultural use but as "do- mestic stores for the existing dwelling". Now, since the owner has 20 tumoli of land in the area, the Agricultural Advisory Committee recommended ap- proval. Present policies render lands of over 20 tumoli eligible for a maximum storage space of 40 sq.m. But this policy does not apply to illegal buildings predating 1994, which are otherwise al- lowed to surpass this thresh- old. The Environment Protection Directorate has objected to the "excessive size" of the stores, while the Archaeological So- ciety objected due to a prehis- toric dolmen found 40m from the site. But since the development is already in place, the MEPA board saw no danger to the archaeological remains in the area. MEPA ordered the owner to plant three Gharghar trees, three Judas trees and three Holm Oak trees to screen the development. Archbishop Charles Scicluna celebrates mass for the sick in Birkirkara