Overview
- The procedure was carried out Friday at Hospital Policial in Montevideo for a 69-year-old woman with terminal metastatic pancreatic cancer who had been under palliative care and signed formal consent earlier in the week.
- The patient entered the hospital about ten days before the procedure after deciding in January to pursue euthanasia, and she completed the statutory review steps required by the Muerte Digna law before the death was authorized.
- Uruguay’s Muerte Digna statute was passed by Parliament on October 15, 2025, and a presidential reglamentary decree that operationalized the law was signed in mid-April 2026, enabling clinical teams to follow the new protocol.
- The regulation requires a three-step medical review (initial responsible physician, a consulting specialist or internist, and, if needed, a medical board with a psychiatrist and palliative-care expert), written revocable consent and mandatory information on palliative options.
- Health officials and advocates say they will monitor how the protocol is applied, respect early applicants’ privacy, and continue debates about strengthening palliative care and oversight as this legislative model becomes a regional reference.