A month ago, the Veneto Regional Council 'rejected' the popular law on medically assisted suicide, which mainly proposed to establish certain response times - 27 days - on the path to access the 'end of life' - already foreseen in Italy from a ruling of the 2019 Consulta - and on the role of healthcare.
Despite the favorable and contrary positions of the regional councilors on such a delicate ethical topic, the Region reaffirms its commitment to strengthening palliative care, to improve the living conditions of terminally ill patients as much as possible.
In this sense, the regional health councilor, Manuela Lanzarin, underlines that "Veneto has always had a very strong focus on palliative care, anticipating national regulations and investing many resources. We are the first region - he adds - for guaranteed services, even if I am aware that more can always be done".
The councilor specifies that all the foreseen procedures have been implemented: accreditation, strengthening of the network and coordination of palliative care, the regional commission called to express its opinion.
"At the same time - explains Lanzarin -, the Veneto Region plans to increase the number of places in hospices and strengthen home care, as well as the creation of at least one home unit for palliative care in each socio-health district".
The Region is committed to standardizing all functional procedures for taking care of fragile people, "and I reiterate - Lanzarin comments - the need for regulatory intervention at a national level that regulates the role of caregivers". An efficiency program that Veneto brings ahead a little in many areas of healthcare, and which earned it first place in providing citizens with the so-called essential levels of assistance (Lea), due on the basis of the Constitution. The Veneto Region - according to data from Quotidiano Sanità - manages to be positive in all three Lea macro areas considered (prevention-hospital-territory), confirming "a homogeneous system made up of organizational and professional capabilities".