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Ethical Controversy: The Human Euthanasia Debate

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Human Euthanasia
Human euthanasia is one of the ethical controversies, which refers to the primary intent of causing death deliberately in order to end an individual’s suffering. Although an immense growth of multispeciality clinics and the spread of palliative care have transformed the perceptions about illness, aging and death, they could not eliminate the physical suffering of individuals. The euthanasia debate generally involves patients who are not only terminally ill, but also suffer from intractable pain. However, it is essential to understand that pain is not the sole determinant of intolerable existence as there are various other complex problems focusing on the quality of life. The choice of euthanasia is often a difficult decision for health workers as it involves various moral and legal issues. While a majority of doctors and health care specialists have already started making decisions regarding ending the lives of patients …show more content…

According to bioethicists, a cognitively-impaired individual qualifies as a non-person, while others argue that non-persons are only those who enter the PVS state, such as anencephalics and fetuses. In an ethical perspective, patients do possess the right of refusing a medical treatment if they do not wish to prefer; however, the major issue of concern is the role of medical experts in either holding or withdrawing a treatment against the will of a patient. The opponents of euthanasia argue that economics is the driving force behind the legalization of euthanasia. They also believe that if there would be legalization of euthanasia due to increased costs of healthcare and aging population, voluntary euthanasia would soon transform into involuntary euthanasia. However, bioethicists argue that the decision of euthanasia should be dependent on measuring the value of human life in terms of the financial costs involved in keeping an individual

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The job of medical professionals is to save lives, and relieve pain, so euthanasia and assisted suicide become a discussion when the only way to relieve pain is by dying. Cancer patients who are on hospice may look into these options. The main argument made with euthanasia is that it will lead to consequences. Having active voluntary euthanasia legalized could eventually legalize active involuntary euthanasia. A consequence of this ethical implication is that physicians and other health providers may become too comfortable with inducing the progress of death.

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These contributors to the debate and discussion state that even if patients live longer & prognoses are often inaccurate, some people may not have the money to afford medicine and might have no other option but to adopt physician-assisted suicide. Lonestar viewpoints and College states, “But, successful or not, medicine has a high price attached to it. The cost is sometimes too much for the terminally ill’s family. A competent dying person has some knowledge of this, and with every day that he or she is kept alive, the hospital costs skyrocket” (The Right to Assisted Suicide - Lonestar Viewpoints).

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In the 21st Century many bioethical issues have come into debate and question on whether they are ethical or not. One of these issues that has been a currents issue is euthanasia. Euthanasia is sometimes thought to be the same as assisted suicide, but they differ in certain aspects of each. Euthanasia as defined by The Patients Rights Council is, “knowingly and directly acting to cause the death of another person (e.g., giving a lethal injection)” , while PRC defines assisted suicide as,” intentionally, knowingly and directly providing the means of death to another person so that the person can use that means to commit suicide ( e.g., providing a prescription for a lethal dose of drugs)”.. There are different types of euthanasia used active

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