The right to a dignified death in Colombia concerns us all

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Understanding about the fundamental right to a dignified death in Colombia is necessary for neurologists who face people with chronic, degenerative, advanced and incurable diseases.

OBJECTIVE:

To reflect on the dignified death in Colombia from the legal, bioethical, and medical context.

METHODS:

A review was carried out of the publications since 1992 on the right to a dignified death in Colombia based on the chronological review of the sentences of the Constitutional Court, and the bioethical and medical aspects of the end of life.

RESULTS:

The fundamental right to a dignified death, which has been possible since the 1991 Constitution, is an unfinished process due to the appearance of new rights protected by the Constitutional Court and the Judiciary The protection of human dignity must be protected throughout existence, and this includes death. This right is multidimensional, non-exclusive, and encompasses palliative care, therapeutic adequacy, and active euthanasia.

CONCLUSION:

Dignified death is a fundamental, emerging multidimensional right that requires the knowledge of neurologists on its legal and bioethical aspects.