Switzerland has legalized a ‘suicide machine’ that allows its users to die in a painless and peaceful manner is just under a minute. The coffin-shaped ‘Sarco’ capsule allows the user to operate it even from the inside by blinking their eyes.
As per The Independent, a person suffering from locked-in syndrome can use the machine from inside with a blink of an eye.
Locked-in syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by complete paralysis of voluntary muscles in all parts of the body except for those that control eye movement.
The locked-in syndrome is usually a complication of a cerebrovascular accident (a stroke) in the base of the pons in the brainstem. The patient is alert and fully conscious but cannot move. Only vertical movements of the eyes and blinking are possible.
The euthanasia device promises a painless death to its user by inducing hypoxia and hypocapnia. Hypoxia is a condition in which there is no oxygen supply at the tissue level whereas hypocapnia is a state of reduced carbon dioxide in human blood, which leads to death.
However, the project has started garnering adverse reactions because of the method used by the machine. Some people have termed the machine as a ‘glorified gas chamber’.
Other have alleged that Sarco glamorizes suicide, The Independent reported.
The director of the non-profit organization Exit International, Dr Philip Nitschke, who invented the suicide machine, hopes that the euthanasia device will be available for use in Switzerland next year.
“It’s been a very expensive project so far but we think we’re pretty close to implementation now,” Nitschke said, as per news reports.
Sarco, which is short for sarcophagus, allows the user to choose their preferred location for a peaceful death. The biodegradable capsule can be detached from the machine and then literally turned into a coffin.
As of date, only two Sarco prototypes exist in in Switzerland, but Nitschke’s company is working on 3D printing the third machine to make it ready for operation next year.
Assisted suicide, also known as assisted dying or medical aid in dying, is legal in Switzerland. In 2020, around 1,300 people used the services of euthanasia organizations.
Suicide prevention helpline numbers are for Nepal are — Patan Hospital: 9813476123; Transcultural Psychosocial Organization helpline: 16600102005; TUTH Suicide Hotline: 9840021600. Nepal currently does not have a national strategy on suicide prevention. Please reach out if you or anyone you know is in need of support.
Uswisi imepitisha sheria ya kutengeneza mashine ya kujiua ambayo inatoa nafasi ya kuua kwa njia ya amani na bila maumivu kwa muda wa dakika moja tu. Kifaa cha "Sarco" chenye umbo la jeneza humruhusu mtumiaji kuitumia hata kutoka ndani kwa kupiga macho. Kulingana na The Independent, mtu anayeteseka kutokana na locked-in syndrome anaweza kutumia mashine kutoka ndani kwa kung'aa kwa jicho. Ugonjwa wa lock-in ni ugonjwa wa neva unaoonyeshwa na kupooza kabisa kwa misuli ya hiari katika sehemu zote za mwili isipokuwa zile zinazodhibiti harakati za jicho. Ugonjwa wa lock-in syndrome ni ugonjwa wa mshipa wa mishipa ya ubongo (stroke) katika sehemu ya chini ya mishipa ya ubongo. Mgonjwa yuko macho na anafahamu vizuri lakini hawezi kutembea. Ni harakati za wima tu za macho na kupiga machozi zinazowezekana. Kifaa cha kuua watu wenye kupooza huahidi kifo kisicho na maumivu kwa mtumiaji wake kwa kusababisha hypoxia na hypocapnia. Hypoxia ni hali ambayo hakuna usambazaji wa oksijeni katika tishu, wakati hypocapnia ni hali ya kupunguzwa kwa kaboni dioksidi katika damu ya binadamu, ambayo husababisha kifo. Hata hivyo, mradi huo umeanza kupata athari mbaya kwa sababu ya njia inayotumiwa na mashine hiyo. Watu fulani wameita mashine hiyo "chumba cha gesi chenye utukufu". Wengine wamesema kwamba Sarco huendeleza kujiua, The Independent iliripoti. Mkurugenzi wa shirika lisilo la faida la Exit International, Dk Philip Nitschke, ambaye ndiye aliyevumbua mashine ya kujiua, anatarajia kwamba kifaa cha kuua watu kwa njia ya euthanasia kitapatikana nchini Uswisi mwaka ujao. "Ilikuwa mradi wa gharama kubwa sana hadi sasa lakini tunafikiri tuko karibu sana na utekelezaji sasa", Nitschke alisema, kulingana na ripoti za habari. Sarco, ambayo ni kifupi cha sarcophagus, inaruhusu mtumiaji kuchagua eneo lao la kupendelea kwa kifo cha amani. Kifuniko hicho kinachoweza kuharibika kibiolojia kinaweza kutenganishwa na mashine hiyo na kisha kugeuzwa kuwa jeneza. Kwa sasa, kuna mifano miwili tu ya Sarco nchini Uswisi, lakini kampuni ya Nitschke inafanya kazi ya kuchapisha 3D mashine ya tatu ili iwe tayari kwa operesheni mwaka ujao. Kujiua kwa msaada, pia inajulikana kama kufa kwa msaada au msaada wa matibabu katika kufa, ni halali nchini Uswisi. Katika mwaka wa 2020, watu 1,300 walitumia huduma za mashirika ya kutoa misaada ya kifo. Nambari za simu za msaada za kuzuia kujiua kwa Nepal ni: Hospitali ya Patan: 981346123; Nambari ya msaada ya Shirika la Transcultural Psychosocial: 16600102005; Nambari ya msaada ya TUTH: 98421600. Nepal kwa sasa haina mkakati wa kitaifa wa kuzuia kujiua. Tafadhali wasiliana na mtu yeyote unayemjua anayehitaji msaada.