Zurich to mandate assisted suicide in all hospitals and care homes

Voters in Zurich will soon decide on a measure that would make assisted suicide available in every hospital and nursing home, including both public and private facilities. Supporters argue that terminal patients should not be forced into prolonged palliative treatment or forced to move elsewhere to end their lives, calling current refusals in some institutions inhumane. The proposal faces opposition from the SVP, EDU, parts of the EVP, as well as several hospitals that claim their primary mission is healing, and private homes that cite Christian objections and concerns over business autonomy.

Critics also warn that legalising assisted suicide could become a new norm, though supporters dismiss these fears. Data show that while overall assisted-suicide deaths are rising nationwide, numbers have not surged in public homes that already permit the practice. Advocates maintain that respecting individual choice should outweigh institutional preferences.