A new pilot in the procedures for determining death among people who died at home may put an end to the grief of many families.
"Israel Hayom" has learned that starting in May 2023, the pilot will run for a year.
The change in procedure was decided following a petition to the High Court by Michael Foa, head of the "Rest in Peace" association. In this context, the police will not be called to the place of death of a person who was treated in a home hospice.
The next of kin will not be bothered unnecessarily, photo: getty images
Instead, and when no crimes are suspected, a determination of death by a medical official will be sufficient to release the body for burial.
If the pilot is deemed a success, the procedure will also be extended to the elderly and terminally ill who died at home and were not treated in a home hospice.
According to Michael Foa, "There is no reason to embarrass the mourners with an unnecessary and offensive investigation, when the doctor who signs the death certificate does not indicate a reason for suspicion (of crimes)". The petition was submitted about three and a half years ago.
According to the procedure, when a person does not die in a hospital, a police officer must be called to the scene to check that there is no suspicion of criminal activity.
Only then can the dead body be removed for burial.
It should be noted that the procedure is also activated when it comes to a terminally ill patient, an elderly person or any other case where it is known that death is expected in the near future and when there is nothing to indicate suspicion of a criminal offense.
prevent heartache
More than once it is claimed that the grieving families suffer from heartbreak, and the relatives of the deceased are sometimes forced to wait a long time while the body is laid in a nearby room.
When the police officer arrives, he begins the investigation process in which the relatives are sometimes seen as suspects until he determines that there is no suspicion of crimes and gives permission to release the body for burial.
In the petition, it is claimed that the procedure seriously infringes on the right of the person to die in his home with dignity instead of in the hospital, and even infringes on the basic rights of the relatives of the deceased, when they become suspects for no wrongdoing.
Following the petition, the state informed the High Court a few days ago that an inter-ministerial committee - consisting of representatives of the Ministries of Welfare, Health, the Ministry of Internal Security and the Ministry of Justice - recommended the pilot. As part of this, the MDA, the Ministry of Health and the police will monitor the cases in which the police were required to come and other The cases in which it was not required, but in retrospect it turned out that there was a suspicion of criminality.
As part of the pilot, the police will not be called to the home of a person who was in home hospice and has died, when there are no suspicious signs on the body or in its surroundings, such as signs of violence, injury or weapons.
In any case of doubt, the medical officer will send a report to the police.
If after a year it turns out that the number of cases in which police presence was ultimately required was low, the pilot will be expanded and applied to elderly and terminally ill people who died at home and were not treated in a home hospice, and will be anchored as a permanent procedure.
Following the state announcement, the petition was deleted.
Michael Foa welcomed the expected change and said that "dying at home of old age naturally, when the deceased is accompanied by his relatives and friends, is the right and good thing."
were we wrong
We will fix it!
If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us
