Through decree 417/2022, which was published this Thursday in the Official Gazette, the Government enacted the National Law of Palliative caresanctioned on July 5 by the Chamber of Deputies.
Measure decreed by the Executive Power requires social and prepaid works to guarantee comprehensive care for patients with palliative care suffering from degenerative pathologies and provides for the accompaniment of families.
In addition, the project seeks to treat pain and other physical, psychological, social and spiritual problems of patients who require palliative carein order to improve the quality of life of this population.
The regulations define the palliative care What “a model of care that improves the quality of life for patients and families facing the problems associated with life-threatening or life-limiting illness”.
It also involves “the prevention and relief of suffering through early identification”, for which an interdisciplinary care strategy will be developed that provides comprehensive treatment to patients.
This includes both undergraduate and postgraduate education and training, continuing education, and research on this type of care, so that staff have the necessary knowledge to care for this population.
It will also be necessary to “promote access to available pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies, based on scientific evidence and approved in the country.”
What the law establishes
The normative obliges social projects and prepaid medicine entities, among others, to “provide coverage in palliative care to people who need it under the terms of this law, including at least the benefits determined by the Enforcement Authority.”
Said body will have the purpose of guaranteeing compliance with the provisions of the law, in addition to designing and promoting strategies for its correct execution.