Slovenia introduces the right to assisted death for suffering incurable diseases. The process will be conditioned by medical and psychiatric assessments.
On Friday, the Slovenian Parliament approved the bill on assisted suicide, according to which adults diagnosed with an incurable disease will have the right to end their lives as long as they face suffering without hope for improvement. According to TASR reports, according to reports of Reuters and STA agencies.
MEPs approved the bill with a ratio of 50 for, 34 against and three abstained. In the consultation referendum last year, such a step was supported by 55 percent of voters.
According to STA, all options will have to be used during treatment and the right to assisted death will not be available to patients with mental illness. Applicants will have to notify their doctor twice before they can file an official application. The doctor, together with his own opinion, will pass the special commission.
Civic associations want to organize a referendum
The Commission will then select an independent physician who will assess the status of the applicant and the psychiatrist who assesses his / her ability to take such a decision. Patients will have to eat themselves or inject a deadly substance. Healthcare professionals will have the opportunity to refuse to participate in assisted death.
The civic associations, which are against assisted suicide, said on Friday that they will try to obtain sufficient public support to announce a referendum on the abolition of this Act.
Slovenia will join Australia, Canada, the Netherlands or Belgium, where the sick people can decide to end their lives. Last month, the Lower Chamber of the British Parliament also approved similar legislation.
