Assisted suicide in Torre Annunziata: device arriving from Tuscany

The Torre Annunziata court has granted the urgent appeal of a woman with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), who was deemed eligible for physician-assisted suicide. The judge ordered the North West Tuscany Local Health Authority (USL) to provide a self-administration device, already used in a similar case in Tuscany, to be delivered to the Naples 3 South Local Health Authority (ASL) within seven working days starting August 29, 2026.

The Local Health Authority Napoli 3 Sud is required to prepare all necessary procedures for receiving, transporting, and testing the device, as well as identifying the healthcare and technical personnel involved. Within three business days of the test, the patient must receive a final report containing details on the drug, the protocol, and the procedure's operational plan. The costs of this report will be borne by the Local Health Authority.

The ASL Napoli 3 Sud (Naples 3 South Local Health Authority) stated that it acted promptly and without delays attributable to the health authority, activating the Permanent Multiprofessional Technical Commission to assess the patient's clinical conditions and verify the requirements established by the Constitutional Court.

The Campania 2 Territorial Ethics Committee unanimously approved the proposal. However, the final phase of the procedure was complicated by the need for an integrated technological system that would allow the patient to independently activate the infusion pump with just eye movement.

After two preliminary market consultations failed, the ASL requested support from the National Research Council (CNR), which had developed a similar device, but without success.

In the absence of commercial solutions, the Naples 3 South Local Health Authority asked the North West Tuscany Local Health Authority for temporary availability of the device manufactured by the National Research Council (CNR). The latter accepted, but emphasized the need to complete certain technical checks and administrative procedures before the transfer. The court rejected the patient's request for a penalty for any delays, acknowledging the cooperative behavior of the administrations involved.

The order is therefore intended to coordinate and define the timing of the necessary procedures, without attributing blame or delays to the ASL Napoli 3 Sud, which has undertaken to cover all costs related to the procedure. The patient, identified as Irene to protect her privacy, confirmed her wishes in a remote hearing, using an eye pointer to communicate.