Terminal Illness & End-of-Life Planning in Eritrea: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Coordinate Hospital Care, Symptom Management, and Public Health Coverage

   • National referral and regional hospitals: In Eritrea, specialist medical care, chronic disease management, and inpatient supportive care are delivered primarily through public health facilities overseen by the Ministry of Health, led by Orotta National Referral Hospital and Halibet Hospital in Asmara as well as zonal referral hospitals across the six administrative regions (Zobas) [1] [2].
   • Palliative symptom control and home care: Because standalone private hospices do not operate in Eritrea, symptom relief, pain medication prescribing, and home follow-up plans are coordinated directly through the treating physician at the national or regional hospital in partnership with local community health clinics [1] [2]. Ask the hospital medical team for a comprehensive written medical summary, an ongoing analgesic and medication prescription schedule, and clear instructions for readmission if acute symptoms arise [1] [2].
   • Subsidized public healthcare fees: Public hospital and clinic services in Eritrea are heavily subsidized by the state, with modest statutory co-payments waived for patients holding a verified indigence or social-assistance certificate issued through their local Sub-Zoba Administration and the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare [1] [3].
2. 2

   Record Healthcare Preferences and Designate a Family Medical Representative

   • Patient consent and clinical communication: Under Eritrean medical practice and civil law principles, an adult patient with intact mental capacity has the right to be informed of their diagnosis and to consent to or decline medical procedures [1] [2]. In practice, physicians in Eritrean hospitals work closely with the patient and senior family members when making major clinical decisions for advanced illness [1].
   • Written care preferences and designated spokesperson: Although Eritrea does not maintain a formal statutory registry for living wills or advance directives, your family member can sign a written statement expressing their preferences regarding invasive interventions, hospitalization, and comfort care, and place a copy in their hospital medical chart [1] [2]. While capacity is intact, your family member should also execute a written authorization designating a trusted adult relative in Eritrea as their primary medical contact to receive clinical reports and communicate with hospital medical boards [1] [3].
3. 3

   Execute Notarial Powers of Attorney and Bank Mandates While Capacity Is Intact

   • Public Notary registration (Wekillina): Under the Civil Code of the State of Eritrea, an agency mandate or Power of Attorney (Wekillina) is legally valid only if granted while the principal retains full mental and legal capacity [4]. Your family member must appear before the Public Notary Office (under the Ministry of Justice / Zoba judicial administration) with their Eritrean National Identity Card and two witnesses to execute a notarized General Power of Attorney for routine administration or a Special Power of Attorney explicitly authorizing property sales, court representation, or banking transactions [4].
   • Mandates at the Commercial Bank of Eritrea and Housing and Commerce Bank: State banking institutions in Eritrea enforce strict in-person verification rules for account withdrawals and transfers [4]. While your family member is still able to attend in person (or receive an authorized official visit), register an explicit bank mandate or notarized Special Power of Attorney directly with the branch where their accounts are held [4].
   • Consequences of supervening incapacity: Under the Eritrean Civil Code, an ordinary Power of Attorney ceases to have effect if the grantor loses mental capacity; if capacity is lost without prior arrangements, family members must petition the Zoba Court for a formal judicial interdiction and guardianship order before they can manage bank accounts or immovable property [4].
4. 4

   Activate Disability Pensions, Sick Leave, and Social Welfare Support

   • National Pension Scheme invalidity benefits: Under the National Pension Scheme Establishment Proclamation (Proclamation No. 135/2003) and the Public Sector Pension Scheme Proclamation (Proclamation No. 136/2003), supervised by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, an insured public-sector or formal private-sector worker who becomes permanently incapable of gainful employment due to serious illness may apply for a permanent disability (invalidity) pension following certification by an official medical board [3] [5].
   • Paid sick leave under labour law: Under the Labour Proclamation of Eritrea (Proclamation No. 118/2001) and civil service regulations, an employed patient is entitled to statutory sick leave upon submitting a medical certificate from an authorized government hospital, while family caregivers can apply to their employer for compassionate or unpaid family leave [3] [5].
   • Community and disability support programmes: For vulnerable households or patients requiring mobility aids and community-based rehabilitation support, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare coordinates community-based social protection and support through regional Zoba and Sub-Zoba social welfare offices [3].
5. 5

   Organize Wills, Civil Status Records, and Cross-Border Property Documents

   • Verify civil status records with the Public Registration Office: Ensure that your family member's Eritrean National Identity Card, birth record, marriage certificate, and family residence registry at the Sub-Zoba Administration and the regional Public Registration Office are complete and consistent in spelling across Tigrinya, Arabic, and English documents [4] [6].
   • Executing a valid Will under the Eritrean Civil Code: Under Book II of the Civil Code of the State of Eritrea, a person of sound mind may execute a formal Public Will (read and signed in the presence of a judge, public notary, or four witnesses, or two witnesses if deposited in a public registry) or a wholly handwritten Holographic Will that explicitly states the day, month, and year it is written and is signed by the testator [4] [6]. Having the will formally registered and deposited with the Public Notary or Zoba Court registry prevents later authenticity disputes [4].
   • Consolidate property titles and diaspora documentation: Gather original urban house title deeds (Cadastro), land lease certificates, bank passbooks, and pension records [4] [5]. If family members reside in the diaspora and will need to act on behalf of the patient or estate in Eritrea, note that Eritrea is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention: any Power of Attorney or civil document executed abroad must be signed or legalized at an Eritrean Embassy or Consulate, authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Asmara, and accompanied by proof of current diaspora status (including clearance of the 2 percent rehabilitation tax where required for domestic property transactions) [3] [4].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Eritrea: Progress on Healthcare and Hospital Services — Ministry of Information of the State of Eritrea (Shabait)
2. [2]
   WHO Country Cooperation and Health System Report: Eritrea — World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa
3. [3]
   Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare: Ensuring Social Welfare and Protection — Ministry of Information of the State of Eritrea (Shabait)
4. [4]
   Public Registration Office and the Public: Mutual Cooperation for Efficient Services — Ministry of Information of the State of Eritrea (Shabait)
5. [5]
   Proclamation No. 135/2003: The National Pension Scheme Establishment Proclamation — Gazette of Eritrean Laws (Library of Congress)
6. [6]
   Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Country Profile: Eritrea — UNICEF Data