Euthanasia is now set to become legal after the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill passed South Australian Parliament.<\/p>\n
Here's a look at how it will work.<\/p>\n
It has been a long time in the making with 17 attempts over 26 years.<\/p>\n
The state is the fourth in Australia to do so, following Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania.<\/p>\n
South Australia's Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill is modelled off Victoria's law, which hasbeen in place for two years now.<\/p>\n
ABC News: Sarah Mullins<\/p>\n
It has been described as among the most conservative in the world and includes some 70 safeguards.<\/p>\n
The South Australian government expects it will take about 18 months for the new voluntary assisted dying laws to comeinto force.<\/p>\n
Once that happens, eligible South Australians will be allowed to get medical assistance to end their life.<\/p>\n
The voluntary assisted dying process starts with a doctor's visit when a patient first asks for medical help to die.<\/p>\n
At that point, any doctor or nurse who does not want to be a part of voluntary assisted dying can choose to opt out of the process.<\/p>\n
Christian MartA-nez Kempin<\/p>\n
If the doctor is on board, he or she will need to check the patient is eligible.<\/p>\n
They must be 18 years or over, an Australian citizen and have lived in South Australia for at least a year.<\/p>\n
They must not have been coercedand, critically, they must have a medical condition that is incurable andcausing intolerable suffering.<\/p>\n
The terminal illness must be likely to cause their death within six months, for some conditions the length of time is12 months.<\/p>\n
It's up to the doctor to assess the patient's overall condition and, importantly, their ability to make sound decisions.<\/p>\n
When terminally ill teenager Rhys Habermann deliveredhis final message four years ago, hisaimwas to protecthis parents from the risk of prosecution.<\/p>\n
The pair must also have a lengthy conversation about the alternatives and risks of carrying out voluntary assisted dying.<\/p>\n
If the doctor is satisfied, the patient is then referred to another doctor for a second opinion.<\/p>\n
The second doctor repeats all of the questions and assessments, essentially cross-checking the work of the first.<\/p>\n
If they agree, this is then ticked off by the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board, which will oversee all cases throughout the process from start to finish.<\/p>\n
The patient then signs a formal declaration in front of the doctor, two witnesses and a contact person.<\/p>\n
The final request to die must happen at least ninedays after the patient's first request.<\/p>\n
The head of the state health department will ultimately issue the permit, which allows the doctor to write a script for special drugs.<\/p>\n
A pharmacist delivers the drugs in a locked box to either the patient or the doctor, depending on who isadministering the medication.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, it's left to the patient to make the final decision on when or whether they use it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The rest is here:<\/p>\n
How will South Australia's new voluntary assisted dying legislation work? And when will it come into force? - ABC News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Euthanasia is now set to become legal after the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill passed South Australian Parliament. Here's a look at how it will work. It has been a long time in the making with 17 attempts over 26 years. Continue reading