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🇲🇽 Mexico /Elections & Politics

PT lawmaker proposes Mexico City Dignified Death Act covering euthanasia and palliative sedation

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • PT legislator Jannete Guerrero proposed a Mexico City law allowing eligible adults to seek euthanasia or other medical assistance to die.
  • Applicants would need decision-making capacity, a serious incurable or disabling condition and constant, intolerable physical or psychological suffering, among other safeguards.
  • The bill would also regulate palliative sedation and require every city hospital to establish an evaluation committee.

Mexico City lawmaker Jannete Guerrero of the Labor Party has proposed a Dignified Death Act that would introduce euthanasia, medical assistance to die and palliative sedation in the capital.

The proposal would let an eligible person choose between euthanasia and requesting medical assistance, provided the selected option is medically appropriate for the person’s clinical condition. Applicants would have to be adults who can understand relevant information and express a free decision.

They would also need to submit a personal, explicit, unequivocal, informed and repeated request. The proposal requires a diagnosis of a serious and incurable illness, or a serious, chronic and disabling condition, together with constant and intolerable physical or psychological suffering directly caused by that condition.

Applicants would first receive accessible information from their treating doctor about the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment options and available palliative care. A responsible doctor and an independent consulting doctor would both have to support the request, and the person would have to reaffirm the decision immediately before the procedure.

Medical staff would need to ensure that the decision did not result from violence, threats, pressure, manipulation, deception, undue influence or economic, family, inheritance or institutional interests. The bill would define palliative sedation as the proportionate, clinically indicated use of medication to reduce consciousness solely to relieve one or more refractory symptoms. It could be used with informed consent, or according to an advance directive when the person could not express consent. Every Mexico City hospital would also have an evaluation committee to review requests, while the proposal includes provisions on conscientious objection for medical personnel.

Medical staff must verify that the requirements have been met and request an assessment from a second medical professional.

· Jannete Guerrero’s proposalThe proposed law would require an independent medical review before assistance for a dignified death could be authorized.
About this summary

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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