Faculty of Medicine, Tirana, Albania.
J Med Ethics. 2010 Dec;36(12):842-4. doi: 10.1136/jme.2010.037143.
Euthanasia is not legal in Albania, yet there is strong evidence that euthanising a terminally ill patient is not an unknown concept for the Albanians. The first mentioned case of euthanasia is found in 7(th) century AD mythology and during the communist regime (1944-1989), allegations of euthanising political prisoners and possible rivals in the struggle for power have widely been formulated. There is a trend among relatives and laymen taking care of terminally ill patients to apply tranquilisers in an abusive dosage, or even against medical advice, aiming at sedating the ailing patient. These actions, the refusal to keep on consistently applying life prolonging treatment, and other data, suggest that covert euthanasia is a practice and legal interventions are needed towards formalising it. This might well improve end-of-life care standards, since the inadequacy of structures, such as hospices and residential asylums, is becoming a major drawback in the struggle for dignity and accessible socio-medical help for third age persons and terminal patients.
在阿尔巴尼亚，安乐死并不合法，但有确凿的证据表明，对绝症患者实施安乐死对阿尔巴尼亚人来说并非未知概念。首例安乐死案例可以追溯到公元 7 世纪的神话，而在共产主义政权（1944-1989 年）期间，广泛流传着对政治犯和可能的权力斗争对手实施安乐死的指控。在照顾绝症患者的亲属和非专业人士中，存在滥用镇静剂或甚至违反医疗建议的趋势，目的是让患病的患者镇静下来。这些行为，拒绝持续进行延长生命的治疗，以及其他数据表明，隐蔽性安乐死是一种做法，需要进行法律干预来使其合法化。这可能会提高临终关怀的标准，因为像收容所和养老院等结构的不足，在争取尊严和为第三年龄人群和晚期患者提供可及的社会医疗帮助方面，正成为一个主要障碍。
