End-of-life, the accusation: "On the island, local health authorities are seriously delaying enforcement of the law."

In Sardinia, the right to choose one's own end-of-life decisions continues to be applied in a patchy manner. This is the view of the association Sardegna-Radicale, which has inspected the records of the local health authorities of Oristano and Gallura. Despite the strict deadlines established by a regional law, they have not yet appointed the multidisciplinary commission responsible for adjudicating requests for assisted suicide.

"The regional law of September 2025 required health authorities to establish these commissions within fifteen days of the law's entry into force, therefore by October 3rd. As of July 20, 2026, both local health authorities are 290 days behind schedule," the prosecution alleges.

For ASL 5 of Oristano , "the data published on the institutional website shows that the process has only just begun: the company has issued an expression of interest in establishing the commission, setting the deadline for applications for July 10, 2026, but as of that date, no resolution appointing its members has been published." For ASL 2 Gallura, however, "as of that same date, no resolution appointing the multidisciplinary commission has been published, nor has any preparatory notice been published in the official notices and communications section."

The other health authorities that appointed the commission did so with extremely serious delays: ASL 6 Medio Campidano, 146 days late; ASL 3 Nuoro, 201 days; ASL 1 Sassari, 265 days; ASL 4 Ogliastra, 265 days; ASL 8 Cagliari, 275 days; ASL 7 Sulcis, 280 days. "Even where the commission was finally appointed, the political and institutional burden of months of noncompliance remains, a violation of the principle of equal access to a right established by regional law."

According to the association, the political, even more than administrative, fact is clear: "Sardinia has passed a civilized law, but some of its members continue to fail to fully implement it. The result is an archipelago of rights, where access to a legally mandated procedure still depends on the territory in which a person lives, suffers, and awaits a response."

(Unioneonline/E.Fr.)