"I don't want to live anymore, just let me die…" Has a dying person ever said this to you? Do they have the right to die in peace? Can you answer that?
Barbora Steinlauf and Oleg Vojtíšek recording a podcast at dusk over Prague
Probably not. And most doctors probably wouldn't either.
The healthcare legal system is lagging far behind when it comes to dying: for a long time, it was built primarily to protect doctors and support them in case of unlawful actions. However, Barbora Steinlauf, as a healthcare lawyer, is going in the opposite direction—she protects the rights of the dying and strives to raise awareness about what a person is entitled to during the dying process.
If you cannot answer these questions, you should definitely listen to the podcast recorded by our Oleg with Barbora Steinlauf:
What should you do if someone is dying in the hospital and you feel they are not being treated well? And what if you suspect they died due to a hospital mistake?
Is a signed piece of paper really enough for informed consent?
When you refuse medical care, do you also lose access to palliative care?
And overall... where does euthanasia (assisted dying) stand in the context of Czech law?
And we're still not done: Barbora has also newly launched the End of Life project. Let your family know how you wish to die when you can no longer make decisions for yourself. Or take a look there to see how to even approach having a conversation about this with someone who is dying.