Lombardy Health Service Manages Its First Assisted Suicide Case for 59-Year-Old Patient

Public healthcare implementation

Domenico Zuccarella, a 59-year-old resident of Giussano diagnosed with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, died on 25 August 2026 after accessing medically assisted suicide through the public health system. While Zuccarella is the third individual in Lombardy to access voluntary death, this case represents the first time the regional health service organized every operational component of the procedure. The public regional health administration coordinated the full execution phase, supplying volunteer healthcare staff, the necessary medications, specialized delivery instrumentation, and the designated location. In accordance with his final wishes, Zuccarella also designated his body for donation to scientific research.

Administrative timeline and legal appeals

Zuccarella submitted his formal request for assisted dying to the local health authority ASST Ovest Milanese on 8 November 2025. The entire procedure spanned 290 days, exceeding the 145-day maximum timeframe outlined in regional guidelines adopted on 13 May 2026. A multidisciplinary medical commission concluded on 18 May 2026 that Zuccarella fulfilled all four legal prerequisites established by judicial precedent, forwarding its report to the local ethics committee on 20 May 2026. After facing procedural delays and an additional inquiry request from the ethics committee on 25 June, his legal team filed an urgent court appeal in late May to expedite the process before his condition deteriorated. During a court hearing on 23 June, Zuccarella addressed the presiding judge directly regarding the prolonged wait.

I am tired, I can't take it anymore.

National legislation and regional frameworks

Italian end-of-life access has operated under framework conditions established by a 2019 Constitutional Court ruling, which defined strict eligibility criteria and instructed parliament to enact national legislation. A comprehensive national bill remains pending in the Italian Senate, where majority-backed provisions propose excluding the national health service from participating in assisted suicide procedures. In the absence of a unified national law, three regions have passed local regulations following the constitutional rulings: Tuscany, Sardinia, and Emilia-Romagna. The Luca Coscioni Association continues to gather signatures in Lombardy for a citizen-initiated regional bill titled Liberi subito, aiming to establish enforceable procedural deadlines for health authorities.

Today, in Lombardy, there is a concretely charted path: from the request for verification to protection against delays, up to the regional health service taking charge of the procedure, assistance, and location.

Precedents and advocacy response

Prior to the 2019 judicial ruling, Italian individuals seeking assisted dying frequently traveled abroad to facilities such as the Dignitas clinic near Zurich with the logistical support of right-to-die advocates. Legal representatives Filomena Gallo and Marco Cappato stated that the full public handling of Zuccarella's case confirms that regional health infrastructure can manage verification, legal compliance, and practical execution. Patient advocates maintain that statutory timelines remain necessary so that patients facing degenerative conditions do not encounter administrative stalemates. The Luca Coscioni Association has called on the Lombardy regional council to deliberate and vote on the popular initiative legislation during the current legislative term.