Two months after qualifying as a general practitioner (GP) in the Netherlands, Rik Haarmans carried out euthanasia for the first time. His patient had colorectal cancer and had always said he wanted to die when he was no longer able to get out of bed. For the young doctor, it was a tough decision to make, with serious legal implications, because in 1983, when Haarmans was asked by his patient to end his life, physician-assisted dying was still illegal.
‘It was a covert operation,’ recalls Haarmans. ‘You went to the back door of the pharmacy to pick up the medication. The patient’s family couldn’t discuss the euthanasia with anyone.’
