Euthanasia: Patient's Choice

Is death better than a prolonged suffering due to an incurable disease? 61% of the American population says ‘yes’. Euthanasia or assisted suicide is an act of deliberately ending a person’s life to relieve suffering.

State of euthanasia

There are many arguments against euthanasia and for euthanasia due to which euthanasia hasn’t been legalized in many countries yet. But some countries like Netherlands, Belgium, Colombia, Luxembourg, Germany, Japan, Switzerland and few states of US support euthanasia. Euthanasia is basically categorized into two types namely voluntary euthanasia, where the patient makes conscious decision to end their life. And non-voluntary euthanasia, where the patient’s relative gives the permission for the procedures as the patient is in no state of communication.

What is the condition of euthanasia in India

Since March 2018, India legalized passive euthanasia where the patient’s death happens due to withholding or withdrawing treatment which is necessary to maintain life.

For euthanasia

A person should have a complete control over their lives and should be able to make decisions regarding themselves without the involvement of others. The right to live includes the right to die, which means it’s the person’s right to die.

Death is completely personal and private matter to the patient and his/her family and others do not have the right to interfere.

If a person wants to end their sufferings due to an incurable disease, allowing them may free up scarce health resources.

Giving everybody the right to have a good death through euthanasia is acceptable as a universal principle, and that euthanasia is therefore morally acceptable, says Immanuel Kant.

An utilitarianism argument for euthanasia states that “euthanasia happens-better to make it legal and regulate it properly”. People shall have good death, at a time of their own choosing, it would make them happier that the continuous pain from their illness.

When a person or their relatives make a decision of taking up euthanasia they would have already made the comparison for themselves and even though it’s hard they decided to do it for a reason which has to be respected.

Patient's choice

And there would be questions lingering asking, ‘Is death a bad thing?’ and ‘Is it worse than a lifetime suffering?’ and patients choosing euthanasia don’t think so.

If someone wants to die it is not necessary that they have got nothing to live for. It only means that the patient has decided that after a limit, the pain overweighs the good things.