New Delhi: The Sarco suicide capsule, a 3D-printed machine, has passed legal review in Switzerland, reports Swiss news agency Swissinfo. This means that the device can be legally operated in Switzerland for use in assisted suicide.
The device has been developed by Exit International.
Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland, and using the services of the country’s two largest assisted suicide organizations, Dignitas and Exit (not associated with Exit International), euthanasia killed about 1,300 people in the country in 2020. Ingestion of liquid sodium pentobarbital is the method currently used. However, Sarco offers a different approach to peaceful death without using controlled substances.
While the world is debating euthanasia, and also over the use of such devices, many countries have made assisted suicides legal. These include Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Canada and Colombia.
In 2018, the Supreme Court of India allowed passive euthanasia, and issued guidelines recognizing the “living will” of critically ill patients.
How does Sarco work?
An article in Swissinfo quoted Exit International’s founder, Dr. Philipp Nitschke, as saying that Sarco is a 3D-printed capsule that is activated from inside by a person wishing to die, and is taken anywhere to start that process. can be taken which will lead to the death of the person. ,
Sarco capsule is shaped like a coffin. Nitschke said a person entering the device is asked a series of questions. After answering the questions, the user can press the button inside the capsule to activate the mechanism as per his convenience.
It works by filling the capsule interior with nitrogen, which reduces oxygen levels.
Nitschke said that two prototypes of Sarco are in existence so far, and the third Sarco is being printed in the Netherlands. He said that if everything goes according to plan, in 2022 the third machine will be ready for operation in Switzerland.
Nitschke stated that his aim is to remove any form of psychological review from the process and allow the individual to control the method himself. He said that they intend to develop an artificial intelligence test system to establish the mental ability of the individual.
According to reports, the device faced heavy criticism on expected lines, with some calling it a “gas chamber”, and others saying it glorified “suicide”.
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