Uruguay passes law allowing euthanasia but will not allow it for minors

Uruguays senate has passed a law decriminalising euthanasia putting the South American nation among a handful of other countries where seriously ill patients can legally obtain help to end their livesThe move made on Wednesday makes Uruguay the first country in predominantly Catholic Latin America to allow euthanasia via legislation Colombia and Ecuador have decriminalised the practice through Supreme Court decisionsIn Chile leftwing President Gabriel Boric recently revived a push for the approval of an euthanasia bill long stalled in the SenateFierce debates and spirited activism around the practice has gripped the region in recent yearsPublic opinion is asking us to take this on Sen Patricia Kramer of Uruguays governing leftist coalition told lawmakers in the countrys capital of MontevideoThe law which moved forward in fits and starts over the last five years cleared its final hurdle on Wednesday as 20 out of 31 senators voted in favour The lower house approved the bill in August with a large majority All thats left is for the government to implement the regulationsDuring the debate senators from the ruling Broad Front coalition delivered impassioned defences of the right to die comparing the euthanasia movement to the legalisation of divorce and samesex marriageWe all believe and feel that life is a right both in health and in sickness but it should never be an obligation because others dont understand such unbearable suffering Sen Daniel Borbonet said after quoting testimony from Uruguayan patients with irreversible medical conditionsMost opposition to euthanasia in Uruguay came from the Catholic Church Before the vote Daniel Sturla the archbishop of Montevideo called on Uruguayans to defend the gift of life and to remember that every person deserves to be cared for accompanied and supported until the endBut secularisation has eroded resistance to the practice in this country of 35 million people which bans any mention of God in oaths of office and calls Christmas Family DayOfficials hailed the laws passage as reinforcing Uruguays reputation as among the most socially liberal nations in the region The country was first in the world to legalise marijuana for recreational use and passed pioneering legislation allowing samesex marriage and abortion over a decade agoThis is a historic event which places Uruguay at the forefront in addressing deeply human and sensitive issuesiquest said Vice President Carolina CosseThe legislation permits euthanasia performed by a healthcare professional but not assisted suicide which involves a patient selfadministering a lethal dose of prescribed medicationUnlike laws in US states Australia and New Zealand restricting euthanasia to those with a life expectancy of no more than six months or a year Uruguay sets no time limits It also not does require a waiting period and allows anyone suffering from an incurable illness that causes iquestunbearable sufferingiquest to seek assisted death even if their diagnosis is not terminalUruguay requires that those seeking euthanasia to be mentally competentAlthough the law does not outright ban euthanasia for those with mental conditions like depression it requires that patients get two doctors to rule that they are psychologically fit enough to make the decisionUnlike Belgium Colombia and the Netherlands Uruguay will not allow euthanasia for minorsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever