The Sardinian Regional Council approved the end-of-life law yesterday. With this measure, which will almost certainly be challenged by the government, as was the case with the similar Tuscan law, the Region guarantees free healthcare to those who wish to access medically assisted suicide with medication. Who is it intended for? The requirements—which are those established by Constitutional Court ruling 242/2019—are very stringent. These are people who must be fully capable of understanding and willing, suffering from an irreversible disease, intolerable physical or mental suffering, and dependent on the treatments necessary to sustain their lives. The text stipulates that special commissions established in each of the Region's healthcare authorities will verify whether the requirements are met.
The verification
Commissions composed of a palliative care physician, a neurologist, a psychiatrist, an anesthesiologist, a nurse, and a psychologist. Each commission may be supplemented, from time to time, by a physician specialized in the condition of the person requesting physician-assisted suicide.
The process is simple: the request is submitted to the local health authority (ASL), which convenes a permanent committee within five days to verify the requirements. The review phase must be completed within thirty days (a period that can be suspended only once, for a maximum of five days) of the application submission. During this phase, the committee consults with the patient, ensuring they have adequate information on the possibility of accessing palliative care, and especially whether they still wish to access end-of-life care. Next, the actual review of the requirements is carried out, followed by the ethics committee's opinion and a report on the fulfillment of the requirements.
Self-administration
Within two days, the Local Health Authority (ASL) will inform the patient of the outcome. If the request is approved, the patient will be given the medication for physician-assisted suicide within seven days, with technical and pharmacological support from the ASL. Of course, the applicant can suspend or cancel the treatment at any time. If the request is rejected, a new application can be submitted if the patient's condition changes.
All the details on L'Unione Sarda on newsstands and in the digital edition.
abbonati.unionesarda.it/Edicola