Arguments Against Euthanasia Essay. Words 4 Pages. Euthanasia is a debatable topic that has recently gained a lot of attention. It is also referred to as physician assisted suicide. Euthanasia was first created and used for terminally ill patients or patients who live with very painful diseases Euthanasia is one of the subjects that have faced intense debate over time, the legalization of euthanasia have been debated for many years with different views presented in terms of ethical and legal consideration for both patients and health care providers. Healthcare providers are faced with ethical dilemmas when caring for terminally ill patients Those in favour of euthanasia argue that it should be up to the patient, whereas those against argue that euthanasia could be misused, leading to very disturbing situations. A strong ethical argument against the use of euthanasia is that it could soon become a slippery slope, with the legalisation of involuntary euthanasia following it
Euthanasia: Right to life vs right to die
The word euthanasia, originated in Greece means a good death 1. Euthanasia encompasses various dimensions, from active introducing euthanasia against essay to cause death to passive withholding treatment or supportive measures ; voluntary consent to involuntary consent from guardian and physician assisted where physician's prescribe the medicine and patient or the third party administers the medication to cause death 23.
Request for premature ending of life has contributed to the debate about the role of such practices in contemporary health care. This debate cuts across complex and dynamic aspects such as, legal, ethical, human rights, health, religious, economic, spiritual, social and cultural aspects of the civilised society.
The objective is to discuss the subject of euthanasia from the medical and human rights perspective given the background of the recent Supreme Court judgement 3 in this context. In India abetment of suicide and attempt to suicide are both criminal offences. Inconstitutional validity of Indian Penal Code Section IPC Sec was challenged in the Supreme Court 4, euthanasia against essay.
The Supreme Court declared that IPC Sec is unconstitutional, under Article 21 Right to Life of the constitution in a landmark judgement 4. Inan interesting case of abetment of commission of suicide IPC Sec came to Supreme Court 5. The accused were convicted in the trial court and later the conviction was upheld by the High Court.
This made the Supreme Court to rethink and to reconsider the decision of right to die. Immediately the matter was referred to a Constitution Bench of the Indian Supreme Court. The Court held that euthanasia against essay right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution does not include the right to die 5.
Regarding suicide, the Supreme Court reconsidered its decision on suicide. Abetment of suicide IPC Sec and attempt to suicide IPC Sec are two distinct offences, hence Section can survive independent of Section It has also clearly stated that a person attempts suicide in a depression, and hence he needs help, rather than punishment.
Therefore, the Supreme Court has recommended to Parliament to consider the feasibility of deleting Section from the Indian Penal Code 3. The practice of palliative care counters this view, as palliative care would provide relief from distressing symptoms and pain, and support to the patient as well as the care giver. Palliative care is an active, compassionate and creative care for the dying 6, euthanasia against essay.
It is the duty of the State to protect life and the physician's duty to provide care and not to harm patients. If euthanasia is legalised, then there is a grave apprehension that the State may refuse to invest in health working towards Right to life. Legalised euthanasia has led to a severe decline in the quality of care euthanasia against essay terminally-ill patients in Holland 7. Hence, euthanasia against essay, in a welfare state there should not be any role of euthanasia in any form.
Symptom of mental illness : Attempts to suicide or completed suicide are commonly seen in patients suffering from depression 8schizophrenia 9 and substance users It is also documented in patients suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder Hence, it is essential to assess the mental status of the individual seeking for euthanasia.
In classical teaching, attempt to suicide is a psychiatric emergency and euthanasia against essay is considered as a desperate call for help or assistance, euthanasia against essay. Several guidelines have been formulated for management of suicidal patients in psychiatry Hence, attempted suicide is considered euthanasia against essay a sign of mental illness Malafide intention : In the era of declining morality and justice, there is a possibility euthanasia against essay misusing euthanasia by family members or relatives for inheriting the property of the patient.
The Supreme Court has also raised this issue in the recent euthanasia against essay 3. Hence, to keep control over the medical professionals, the Indian Medical Council Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics Regulations, discusses euthanasia briefly in Chapter 6, Section 6.
There is an urgent need to protect patients and also medical practitioners caring the terminally ill patients from unnecessary lawsuit. Law commission had submitted a report no to the government on this issue Emphasis on euthanasia against essay : Earlier majority of them died before they reached the hospital but now it is converse.
Now sciences had advanced to the extent, life can be prolonged but not to that extent of bringing back the dead one. This phenomenon has raised a complex situation.
The principle is to add life to years rather than years to life with a good quality palliative care. The intention is to provide care when cure is not possible by low cost methods. Hence, euthanasia for no cure illness does not have a logical argument. Whenever, there is no cure, the society and medical professionals become frustrated and the fellow citizen take extreme measures such as suicide, euthanasia or substance use.
In such situations, palliative and rehabilitative care comes to the rescue of the patient and the family, euthanasia against essay. At times, doctors do suggest to the family members to have the patient discharged from the hospital wait for death to come, if the family or patient so desires. Various reasons are quoted for such decisions, such as poverty, non-availability of bed, euthanasia against essay, futile intervention, resources can be utilised for other patients euthanasia against essay cure is possible and unfortunately majority of our patient's family do accordingly.
Many of the terminally ill patients prefer to die at home, with or without any proper terminal health care. The societal perception needs to be altered and also the medical professionals need to focus on care rather in addition to just cure. The motive for many euthanasia requests is unawareness of alternatives.
However, when patients hear that a lot can be done through palliative care, that the symptoms can be controlled, euthanasia against essay and in the future, many do not want euthanasia anymore Commercialisation of health care : Passive euthanasia occurs in majority of the hospitals across the county, where poor patients and their family members refuse or withdraw treatment because of the huge cost involved in keeping them alive, euthanasia against essay.
If euthanasia is legalised, euthanasia against essay, then commercial health sector will serve death sentence to many disabled and elderly euthanasia against essay of India for meagre amount of money. This has been highlighted in the Supreme Court Judgement 3 Research has revealed that many terminally ill patients requesting euthanasia, have major depression, and that the desire for death in terminal patients is correlated with the depression euthanasia against essay In Indian setting also, strong desire for death was reported by 3 of the advanced cancer patients, and these had severe depression They need palliative and rehabilitative care.
Palliative care actually provides death with dignity euthanasia against essay a death considered good by the patient and the care givers. Euthanasia against essay argument is further defended for those, who have chronic debilitating illness even though it is not terminal such as severe mental illness, euthanasia against essay.
Majority of such petitions are filed by the sufferers or family members or their caretakers. The caregiver's burden is huge and cuts across various domains such as financial, emotional, time, physical, mental and social, euthanasia against essay.
Hence, it is uncommon to hear requests from the family members of the person with psychiatric illness to give some poison either to patient or else to them. Refusing care : Right to refuse medical treatment is well recognised in law, including medical treatment that sustains or prolongs life.
For example, euthanasia against essay, a patient suffering from blood cancer can refuse treatment or deny feeds through nasogastric tube. Recognition of right to refuse treatment gives a way for passive euthanasia, euthanasia against essay.
Many do argue that allowing medical termination of pregnancy before 16 wk is also a form of active involuntary euthanasia. This issue of mercy killing of deformed babies has already been in discussion in Holland Right to die : Many patients in a persistent vegetative state or else in chronic illness, do not want euthanasia against essay be a burden on their family members.
Encouraging the organ transplantation : Euthanasia in terminally ill patients provides an opportunity to advocate for organ donation. This in turn will help many patients with organ failure waiting for transplantation. On the contrary, the state does not own the responsibility of promoting, protecting and fulfilling the socio-economic rights such as right to food, right to water, right to education and right to health care, which are basic essential ingredients of right to life.
Till date, most of the States has not done anything to euthanasia against essay the terminally ill people by providing for hospice care. If the State takes the responsibility of providing reasonable degree of health care, euthanasia against essay, then majority of the euthanasia supporters will definitely reconsider their argument. We do endorse the Supreme Court Judgement that euthanasia against essay contemporary society and public health system is not matured enough to handle this sensitive issue, hence it needs to be withheld.
However, this issue needs to be re-examined again after few years depending upon the evolution of the society with regard to providing health care to the disabled and public health sector with regard to providing health care to poor people, euthanasia against essay. The Supreme Court judgement to withhold decision on this sensitive issue is a first step towards a new era of health care in terminally ill patients.
The Judgment laid down is to preserve harmony within a society, when faced with a complex medical, social and legal dilemma. There is a need to enact a legislation to protect terminally ill patients and also medical practitioners caring for them as per the recommendation of Law Commission Report There is also an urgent need to invest in our health care system, so that poor people suffering from ill health can access free health care.
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References 1. Lewy G. Assisted suicide in US and Europe. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc; Dowbiggin Euthanasia against essay. A merciful end: The euthanasia movement in modern America. Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug vs. Writ Petition Criminal no.
[Intelligence-High School Debate] To Legalize Voluntary Euthanasia _ Part.1
, time: 23:22Arguments For And Against Euthanasia Essay - Words | Bartleby
Arguments Against Euthanasia Essay Words | 4 Pages. Arguments on Euthanasia In this paper, I will be presenting the opposing arguments on Euthanasia, the controversial issue of terminally ill patients committing suicide with the assistance of a physician. One of the main arguments for euthanasia is that people have the right to die Assisted suicide, also known as Euthanasia, is the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease (terminally ill) or in an irreversible coma. This action is performed with the assistance of a physician or doctor by being injected with lethal drugs, leading to a painless death Euthanasia is one of the subjects that have faced intense debate over time, the legalization of euthanasia have been debated for many years with different views presented in terms of ethical and legal consideration for both patients and health care providers. Healthcare providers are faced with ethical dilemmas when caring for terminally ill patients
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