Italy blocks death bid

The Italian government has adopted an emergency decree that could prevent doctors from removing the feeding tube of a comatose woman who has been at the center of a national debate on the right to die.



Eluana Englaro has been in a vegetative state for nearly 17 years after a car crash in 1992, caused irreversible brain damage.



She was 20 years old at the time of the crash.



The decree orders doctors to continue feeding and hydrating Englaro until a suitable law is approved by parliament, possibly within a few weeks.



The decree has not yet been approved by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, who said he won\'t sign it.



The matter is urgent because doctors began the procedure to remove the feeding tube this morning, and experts suggest it will take up to two weeks to complete.



Doctors said the procedure can be reversed only within the first 48 hours, meaning a decision to do so must be reached by Sunday morning.



Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he will see that everything necessary is done to save the woman’s life.



Euthanasia or mercy killing is illegal in Italy, but patients have the right to refuse treatment.