topics
tools
Expatica countries
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2138.81 0.91
DAX 6394.51 0.86
IBEX 30 6533.2 -0.15
CAC 40 3078.12 0.99
FTSE 100 5410.15 1.10
AEX 295.92 1.08
DJIA 12454.83 -0.60
Nasdaq 2837.53 -0.07
FTSE MIB 13225.46 0.54
TSX Composite 11576.47 0.09
ASX 4120.2 0.96
Hang seng 18800.99 0.47
Straits Times 2787.22 0.52
ISEQ 20 504.56 0.72
You are here: Home News Spanish News Andalusia set to assist death law for terminally ill

Spanish News

archive
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size


03/09/2008Andalusia set to assist death law for terminally ill

The Seville-based government is drafting legislation that will allow the terminally ill patients to choose the type of care they want.

3 September 2008

MADRID -- Andalusia is set to become the first Spanish region to guarantee the right of patients to a dignified death after the Seville-based government on Tuesday began drafting legislation that will allow the terminally ill to refuse care.

The draft law, which government officials expect will be approved in 2009, will allow terminal patients to make informed decisions about the type of care they receive, even if their choice could hasten their death, and obliges doctors and other medical staff to respect their wishes.

"The law will not only safeguard patients' freedom and respect their will, but it will also support the work of healthcare professionals," María Jesús Montero, Andalusia's health department chief, said Tuesday.

The legislation would protect doctors who turn off life support systems at a patients' behest, for example, and will make those who refuse to comply with a patient's wishes punishable by law.

Doctors who unilaterally choose to "provide life support with no clinical use, which affects the patient's quality of life and which only serves to prolong their biological life with no possibility of their improvement or recovery" could be fined between EUR 60,000 and EUR 1 million.

The proposed legislation is similar to existing laws in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, although Andalusian officials argue that it stops short of permitting euthanasia, which remains illegal in Spain.

The Andalusian plan was first proposed in 2007 when doctors at a Catholic hospital in the region refused to comply with the last wishes of a terminally ill woman. She was ultimately transferred to another hospital where her artificial respirator was removed.

[El Pais / Expatica]


0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment

General rating: Not rated yet

Rate article:    Add my rating



0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment
Discussion Forums

Technology in Spain

Sat phones/internet links

English in Spain

What is the best travel insurance cover to Spain?

American in Spain

U.S. citizens, plan to vote in 2012? Did you know...

Relocation to Spain

thinking of moving to madrid

Jobs in Spain

Job Agencies or how to find work.

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
Editor's Guide: Getting Started in Spain

Editor's Guide: Getting Started in Spain

Expatica's Getting Started section will provide practical information on how you can open a bank account, exchange your driving licence, improve your Spanish, and more.

Groups and Clubs in Madrid

Groups and Clubs in Madrid

Here's a guide to an extensive list of groups and clubs in Madrid for expats, from sports groups to social and family gatherings.

Groups and Clubs around Spain

Groups and Clubs around Spain

A brief introduction to our Tax section for Spain, from help with inheritance tax to accounting advice.

Groups and Clubs in Barcelona

Groups and Clubs in Barcelona

Here's a short introduction to our Banking section for those living in Spain, from what to ask the experts to opening a Spanish bank account.