Introduction
Euthanasia is
the practice of deliberately killing a person to spare him or her from having
to deal with more pain and suffering. This is always a controversial issue
because of the moral and ethical components that are involved. This paper will
discuss the arguments in favour of euthanasia.
Discussion
Euthanasia
cannot be considered as against the Hippocratic Oath that all doctors have
sworn to follow. This oath mentions that doctors have to do their best to
ensure that the lives of the patients that they handle are saved from possible
death. They have to find a way to improve the health conditions of their
patients regardless of how serious their injury or disease might be. There is
no doubt that doctors need to fulfill this responsibility, but there are cases
wherein the patients become brain dead because of the serious injury that they
obtained and is only surviving because of the life support system (Keown 58).
In patients who are brain dead, they will never wake up anymore from their
sleep because their brain has completely stopped functioning. The heart and
lungs are still functioning because of the help of the life support system.
Thus, putting the life support system in place only delays the inevitable which
is the death of the patient. The life support system does not have the
capability to bring the patient back to life, it only prevents him from dying
right away. It is also very expensive for the family of the patient to keep the
life support system in place for so long. Thus, through euthanasia the family
members are able to make a tough decision to end the life of their loved one
who has become brain dead. This is just a practical solution to their problem
and the doctors do not violate the Hippocratic Oath because they cannot do more
than provide the life support system in brain dead cases.
Another
argument in favour of euthanasia is that it cannot be considered as homicide
because the doctors will end the life of the patient upon the request of the family
and relatives. Homicide is killing another person for reasons motivated by
anger, envy, hatred or frustration. It is clear that euthanasia does not kill
patients for these wicked reasons, but for the only reason that the doctors
have already done their best in the case of the brain dead patient but the
condition of patient itself is something that cannot be reversed or improved
anymore (Scherer 39). Thus, the only thing that can be done is to mercifully
kill the patient unless the family members want the brain dead patient to
remain in life support system.
Lastly, it is
wrong to believe that euthanasia must be totally scrapped in society because of
the presence of innovations in the field of medicine and health care. The
reality is that up to the present time, there is nothing new that has been
discovered regarding brain dead patients. Life support system remains the only
remedy for this condition, and so euthanasia deserves to remain an available
option for the doctors and family members just in case they will need it in the
long run (Manning 72). It helps to end the agony of the patient and the family
members of hoping for the patient to wake up but in reality will never happen.
Conclusion
It is clear
that euthanasia needs to be perceived as a practical and realistic option based
on the three arguments discussed above. Euthanasia deserves to have a place in
human society. Doctors and family members need to be open minded about the
condition of the patient and realize that instead of prolonging one another’s
agony, they must just use euthanasia and move on with their lives without
regrets.
References
Keown, John. Euthanasia Examined: Ethical, Clinical and
Legal Perspectives. Boston, MA: Cambridge University Press, 1997.
Manning,
Michael. Euthanasia and
Physician-Assisted Suicide: Killing Or Caring? Mahwah, NJ: Paulist
Press, 1998.
Scherer,
Jennifer. Euthanasia and the Right to
Die: A Comparative View. Lanham, MD: Rowman
& Littlefield, 1999.
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