Canceled just hours before the euthanasia of a woman in Colombia :: La Prinza de Lara

EFE | Laura’s pressure- A medical center in Medellin decided this Saturday Cancel the euthanasia of Martha Sepalveda, A woman with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and should be the first Colombian to receive the procedure on Sunday since the Constitutional Court recognized patients with non-fatal diseases in July.

The Colombian Pain Institute (Incotol), which will carry out the procedure, said in a statement that it had decided. Cancel the process The criterion is defined as “having an updated view of the patient’s health and evolution” Terminal It was considered “.

Colombia was the first country in Latin America Euthanasia is innocent, And in one of the few legal worlds, after the Constitution sanctified the dignified death as a fundamental right during a sacred illness in 1997, when the patient was in great pain, it was voluntarily requested by a physician.

The court’s July ruling changes that. “Euthanasia“Penalties and fines have been imposed until now 54 months imprisonment, Repeals this first requirement, the person seeking it suffers from a serious illness, and is encouraged by existing restrictions in the country to exercise this right.

Although it has been legal since 1997, this right did not begin to be exercised until 2015 and procedures still face restrictions, which are only done in certain cities and many medical centers do not know how to operate.

In addition, Parliament has for many years blocked bills regulating honor killings.

The case of Martha Cebalveda

Sebalveda’s case was announced last month, and News Karakal reported that he would die tomorrow at the age of 51.

“If it comes from the spiritual plane, I’m completely calm (…) I’m a coward but I do not want to suffer anymore, I’m tired. I struggle to relax.”The woman said that the certainty of dying gave her “peace of mind.”

Since she was diagnosed, the woman began to lose strength in her legs, and it became difficult to walk long distances, which worsened her quality of life.

Controversy in the case

After the release of the report, The Episcopal Conference of Colombia This week he called on Sebalveda to “quietly reflect on his decision.”

“Hopefully (given the response), if circumstances permit, the media and his family will not hesitate to take the pain, to propagate a kind of euthanasia, let alone persecution,” he said. Antonio Cepallos Escobar, Chairman of the Episcopal Commission for the Promotion and Preservation.

For his part, the representative of Chamber Juan Fernando Reyes regretted “for refusing to euthanize Martha Sepalveda.”

“Right Die with dignity That’s one OK The government does not have to involve every person, that decision or anyone else. If we want our beliefs and close decisions to be respected, we must begin to respect the beliefs of others, “said the Liberal Congressman.

Euthanasia in Colombia

In the country, only 94 Procedures Euthanasia From April 2015 to May 8, 2020, according to the Ministry of Health, which has been counting cases since the procedure was approved, in 1997, 18 years later, the Constitutional Court upheld the death of a convicted felon.

Most of these procedures were performed in the field of Bogota or Antigovia, and nine out of ten were for people with a cancer-related diagnosis.

In addition, according to official data, for every five requests made in the country, only two end.

Source: EFE

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