Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1535324
3 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 14 MAY 2025 NEWS KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt Nurses' union supports right for terminally ill patients to choose euthanasia EUTHANASIA is about respecting the wishes of patients on their deathbed, the nurses' union said on Tuesday, calling it "a deeply personal choice". However, the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses said euthanasia is not appro- priate within a hospital setting, calling for a designated place for this purpose. The MUMN said that unlike other eth- ical debates such as abortion, euthanasia was a choice that "affects no third parties directly". The union was reacting to the consul- tation document published by the gov- ernment last week, which is proposing the introduction of voluntary assisted euthanasia for adult terminally ill pa- tients, who have been given six months to live. "The decision of a patient suffering from continuous, unbearable pain who is facing terminal illness deserves respect," the MUMN said. It added that nurses witness on a first- hand basis the agony these patients en- dure. "We see patients receiving mor- phine, only to request another dose within 20 minutes because the pain has not subsided," the union said, adding that no individual has the right to pass judgement on a dying patient enduring such pain. "Let us respect the patient's right to choose at the end of their life." The MUMN agreed with the govern- ment's proposal that certification of a patient's request for assisted dying should be made by a board that reviews medical records to ensure the patient meets all criteria. The MUMN stressed though that eu- thanasia should never come at the ex- pense of palliative care. The union said it is actively engaging with the health minister to expand community-based palliative care. "Relatives wishing to care for their loved ones at home should be fully sup- ported with the provision of a 24-hour carer, a special bed and all the necessary medications without bureaucratic hur- dles," the union said. Last week, Archbishop Charles Sciclu- na urged healthcare professionals to be "servants of life with dignity, never dis- pensers of death", calling for palliative care to be provided "up to natural end". The Life Network Foundation, a pro- life organisation, called euthanasia the "deliberate termination of human life" and insisting on improvements to palli- ative care instead. MUMN says nurses witness firsthand the agony some terminally ill patients have to endure (File photo) MUMN says the right of terminally ill patients to choose euthanasia should be respected but argues hospital is not the appropriate setting Momentum teams up with European Democratic Party MOMENTUM has joined the European Democratic Party (EDP), marking its formal en- try into the European political mainstream. The EDP, a pan-European cen- trist alliance, announced Mo- mentum's accession in a press release issued on Tuesday. The move positions the Arnold Cas- sola-led party as Malta's first EDP affiliate. "Momentum is proud to join the EDP," said Mark Camilleri Gambin, the party's secretary general. "We look forward to contribute to bringing about the authentic European values of peace, solidarity and justice in a world that is ablaze with vio- lence and injustice from Ukraine to Gaza." EDP secretary general Sandro Gozi welcomed the party into the fold. "Momentum's acces- sion to the European Demo- cratic Party strengthens our commitment to a fairer, more sustainable, and citizen-orient- ed Europe. In a deeply polarised political climate, the entry of a centrist and reformist force like Momentum sends a hopeful message for the future of Euro- pean democracy." The European Democratic Party, founded in 2004, is part of the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament, alongside parties such as France's MoDem and Italy's Italia Viva. NICOLE MEILAK nmeilak@mediatoday.com.mt Elderly man hospitalised in Gozo traffic accident A 70-year-old motorcyclist was grievously injured in a traffic accident on Tuesday morning. The police said the accident happened at around 11:15am in Triq l-Imġarr, Għajnsielem, Għawdex. Preliminary investigations showed a Kia Picanto driven by a 41-year-old Italian man was involved in a collision with a Honda motorcycle driven by a 70-year-old man from Xewkija. A medical team was called to the site of the accident, and he was transferred to the Gozo General Hospital, where he was certified for his injuries. Police investigations are on- going. Gozo General Hospital (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)