It’s haunting to think about but the older we get, the more likely we are to see our loved ones reach the end of their lives. And in most cases, this is preceded by a period that finds them in and out of hospitals for months.
And whether they show it or not, such periods are hard for everyone involved. Those in the patient’s corner are forced to see them suffer, whereas the patient finds themselves increasingly aware that routines in their lives they once took for granted have become difficult and painful as their condition worsens.
There’s no easy answer for situations like this but the more options the patient has, the more likely they are to arrive at an end-of-life plan that makes them as comfortable as possible.
And it seems that Spain is gearing up to make a hotly-debated option available for those dealing with the most extreme cases.
On March 18, Spain’s Congress of Deputies — its lower house of parliament — cast its final vote in favor of legalizing euthanasia in the nation.
As Reuters reported , the final vote saw 202 lawmakers voting in support of the act, while 141 opposed it and two abstained.
This would approve a process in which medical professionals can assist patients seeking to end their lives, an action that once would have put them in jail for up to 10 years.
Back in December when the bill was about to receive its first vote, Health Minister Salvador Illa told representatives, “As a society, we cannot remain impassive when faced with the intolerable pain that many people suffer.”
But while lawmakers within the nation’s coalition government and other parties seemed to agree, that’s not how the conservative Popular Party and the far right Vox party saw the issue.
According to the BBC , Vox leader Santiago Abascal described the law as “a defeat for civilization and a victory for the culture of death,” which was echoed by masked protesters carrying banners that read, “government of death” outside the parliament buildings.
However, those with this perspective seem to be in the minority as Reuters reported that 90% of Spanish citizens were in favor of decriminalizing euthanasia.
The law will make euthanasia available for adults who are legal residents of Spain and considered capable of making rational decisions.
According to AP News, public and private health care professionals will be able to directly administer fatal drugs to patients who request such a response to their “serious and incurable disease” or their “debilitating and chronic condition” that they find unbearable.
Each request will be subject to the approval of regional oversight boards, which are expected to be established before the law comes into force in three months’ time.
Even in cases that meet the approval of a board, however, a prodecure will be in place to ensure the decision isn’t taken rashly.
As AP News reported, a patient putting in a euthanasia request must confirm that’s what they want on four separate occasions that take place over the course of about a month.
The first two of these requests are required to be submitted in writing with a two-week consideration period in between them. The patient in question must then confirm their request after consulting a doctor and reaffirm their desire for this option right before the euthanasia procedure takes place.
The process itself must be administered by a medical team led by a doctor and overseen by a second physician acting as an external supervisor. The law also allows health care workers to excuse themselves from the procedure if euthanasia does not line up with their beliefs.
Spain’s euthanasia law appeared to come in the wake of a similar parliamentary effort in Portugal that passed in February of 2020.
As ABC News reported , this law was blocked by that nation’s Constitutional Court on March 15, 2021 due to its imprecise wording.
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Elsewhere in Europe, euthanasia is legal with varying degrees of restriction in Belgium, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. It has also been legalized in Canada and Colombia.
The similar procedure of medically assisted suicide that sees patients administer their own lethal drugs with a doctor’s supervision is permitted in Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. According to CNN , it’s also possible for patients to access this option in Montana and California through a court decision.
