Medical Ethics and Euthanasia
Euthanasia
The mere act of euthanasia represents the most gentle and painless way of terminating a person's life in order to relieve them from their suffering. This term itself is derived from the Greek word “euthanatos”, which literally means easy death. 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 has to be made by relatives, medics or, in some instances, the courts. Deciding whether to euthanise a person or not is one of the most difficult questions concerning not only practical, but also religious and ethical matters. However, people should choose euthanasia because it can help the patient by relieving his/her pain and suffering, it can reduce economic costs and provide human resources for other people suffering from curable diseases, and it helps the sick person’s family to overcome the loss without much pain. One of the first and most important reasons for choosing euthanasia is definitely the act of relieving a person’s suffering. Family members all over the world usually choose euthanasia in order to save their loved one suffering from a terminal illness or incurable condition, from further pain and suffering. In most cases the patients themselves give their consent to euthanasia, which is considered to be the act of voluntary euthanasia. Besides voluntary there is non-voluntary euthanasia, also known as ‘mercy killing’, which is performed only when a person is in a persistent vegetative state and cannot make a decision on his/her own. This means that the family has to give their consent to euthanasia instead of the patient. Even though the question raises many debates including ethics, morality and religion, the only purpose of euthanasia should be to prevent a person from living in an irreversible coma, constantly taking pain relievers. Taking into consideration the states the patients are usually in, deciding to euthanise them is the right thing to do. In addition to
The mere act of euthanasia represents the most gentle and painless way of terminating a person's life in order to relieve them from their suffering. This term itself is derived from the Greek word “euthanatos”, which literally means easy death. 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 has to be made by relatives, medics or, in some instances, the courts. Deciding whether to euthanise a person or not is one of the most difficult questions concerning not only practical, but also religious and ethical matters. However, people should choose euthanasia because it can help the patient by relieving his/her pain and suffering, it can reduce economic costs and provide human resources for other people suffering from curable diseases, and it helps the sick person’s family to overcome the loss without much pain. One of the first and most important reasons for choosing euthanasia is definitely the act of relieving a person’s suffering. Family members all over the world usually choose euthanasia in order to save their loved one suffering from a terminal illness or incurable condition, from further pain and suffering. In most cases the patients themselves give their consent to euthanasia, which is considered to be the act of voluntary euthanasia. Besides voluntary there is non-voluntary euthanasia, also known as ‘mercy killing’, which is performed only when a person is in a persistent vegetative state and cannot make a decision on his/her own. This means that the family has to give their consent to euthanasia instead of the patient. Even though the question raises many debates including ethics, morality and religion, the only purpose of euthanasia should be to prevent a person from living in an irreversible coma, constantly taking pain relievers. Taking into consideration the states the patients are usually in, deciding to euthanise them is the right thing to do. In addition to