Further Explanation of Euthanasia
The term is derived from the Greek word Euthanatos which means easy death.
Mercy Killing, Assisted Suicide
The painless killing of a patient from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma
. A person who undergoes euthanasia has an incurable condition. But there are other instances where some people want their life to be ended
. In many cases, it is carried out at the person’s request but there are times when they may be too ill and the decision is made by relatives, medics or in some instances, the courts.
. The issue has been at the centre of very heated debates for many years and is surrounded by religious, ethical and practical considerations.
The Ethics of Euthanasia
Euthanasia raises a number of agonizing moral dilemmas:
. Is it ever right to end the life of a terminally ill patient who is undergoing severe pain and suffering?
. Under what circumstances can euthanasia be justifiable, if at all?
. Is there a moral difference between killing someone and letting them die?
At the heart of these arguments are the different ideas that people have about the meaning and value of human existence.
. Should human beings have the right to decide on issues of life and death?
. There are also a number of arguments based on practical issues
Even if it was morally right, it could be abused and used as a cover for murder
Killing or Letting Die
. Euthanasia can be carried out either by taking actions, including giving a lethal injection, or by not doing what is necessary to keep a person alive (such as failing to keep their feeding tube going).
‘Extraordinary’ Medical Care
. It is not euthanasia if a patient dies as a result of refusing extraordinary or burdensome medical treatment.
Why people want Euthanasia
. Unbearable pain ? Less than a third of requests for euthanasia were because of severe pain.
. Terminally ill people can have their quality of life severely damaged by physical conditions such as incontinence, nausea and vomiting, breathlessness, paralysis and difficulty in swallowing
. Psychological factors that cause people to think of euthanasia include depression, fearing loss of control or dignity, feeling a burden, or dislike of being dependent
Three Types of Euthanasia
. Voluntary Euthanasia- Euthanasia performed with the patient’s consent
. Non-Voluntary Euthanasia- Where the patient is unable to give their informed consent, for example child euthanasia
. Involuntary Euthanasia- performed on a patient against their will
. Physician-Assisted Suicide- entails making lethal means available to the patient to be used at a time of the patient’s own choosing
In one of the recent judgments of the Supreme Court (2018), the Bench defined Active Euthanasia as-
“A positive act or affirmative action or act of commission entailing the use of lethal substances or forces to cause the intentional death of a person by direct intervention, e.g. a lethal injection given to a person with terminal cancer who is in terrible agony”.
Passive Euthanasia/ negative euthanasia/ non-aggressive euthanasia, was defined by the apex court, as that which
“Entails withholding of medical treatment for continuance of life, e.g. withholding of antibiotics where without giving it a patient is likely to die”
Aishwarya Says:
I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.
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