“Care in the hospices is a human right”, declared Franz Küberl, President of Caritas Austria, on the occasion of World Hospice Day, celebrated on 8 October. Referring to the situation of his country, in which care for the terminally ill in hospices is acquiring ever greater importance, Küberl said that “Austria is on the right road, but now we need to pass from decisions to actions”. “In Austria, the idea of the hospices took root especially thanks to the commitment of many volunteers and is now recognized and unchallenged”. Nonetheless, he added, “we mustn’t rest on our laurels”; for, he continued, assistance in hospices is still revealing “grave shortcomings” and a “clear divide” between cities and the rest of the country. Moreover, “the funding of teams of volunteers in the hospices, who assist terminally-ill patients throughout Austria, is still not secured”. Küberl also welcomed the clear rejection of euthanasia in Austria. “The fact that a law for euthanasia for children is now being drafted in the Netherlands makes it plain that the legalization of euthanasia knows no limits”.
