Italy okays living wills, recognizing patients' right to refuse care
Xinhua,December 14, 2017 Adjust font size:
ROME, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Italian Senate on Thursday gave its final approval to the so-called living will law, allowing terminal patients to refuse to be kept alive artificially if they choose so.
The vote was greeted by applause from the Senate floor. "Living wills: the Senate greenlights a civilized choice," Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni tweeted, "A step forward for personal dignity."
The living will is binding on doctors and absolves them of legal responsibility should they suspend care in such patients, according to the new law.
The passage of the new law brings to a close a long-running debate in Italy over the right to die.
Italian activist Marco Cappato is currently on trial for taking a well-known DJ, Fabiano Antoniani, to Switzerland to obtain euthanasia earlier this year.
Antoniani, as he was known in Italy, was left blind and tetraplegic after a car crash. He repeatedly asked to be helped to die, which is not legal in Italy. He died in a Swiss clinic in February.
The case brought to the fore the debate over when it is morally appropriate for an individual to request an end to a life of extreme suffering. Enditem