The Budget and Treasury Committee of the Chamber of Deputies seek to advance with the opinion of a bill, approved by the Senate, which ensures patient access to comprehensive palliative care benefits in the public, private and social security spheres, as well as accompanying their families.
The commission, chaired by the deputy of the Front of All (FdT) Charles Hellerwill meet from 5:30 p.m. in room 2 of the Annex C building of the Lower House.
The project, which already received an opinion in the Health Commissionseeks to develop a person-centered interdisciplinary care strategy that addresses the physical, mental, social and spiritual needs of patients suffering from life-threatening and/or limiting illnesses.
Also, through this initiative, it is proposed promote access to both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies available and based on scientific evidence for palliative care; Y promote undergraduate and postgraduate professional trainingthe continuing education and the research in palliative care.
The text of the project approved by the Senate in October 2020 defines palliative care as “a model of care that improves the quality of life for patients and families facing problems associated with life-threatening or life-limiting illness.”
This treatment is done “through the prevention and relief of suffering through early identification, evaluation and treatment of pain and other physical, psychological, social and spiritual problems“.
The established principles are those of respect for the life and well-being of people; equity in access to benefits; interventions based on “the best available scientific evidence”; and respect for the dignity and autonomy of the patient in decisions about the treatment and care that he has to receive throughout his illness.
Furthermore, the project creates a National Observatory for the Evaluation of Palliative Careinterdisciplinary and multisectoral.
Finally, the initiative establishes that the law must be regulated within 90 days after its publication in the Official Gazette, and the provinces and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (Caba) are invited to adhere.