Euthanasia is the intentional termination of a person’s life, usually but not always at that person’s request, and typically in the context of terminal illness and grave suffering. Arguments in favour of euthanasia revolve around matters of the patient’s autonomy, the quality of life, unnecessary suffering, maintaining the patient’s dignity in the dying process, use of medical equipments to prolong needless suffering, the legal implication and regulating procedures to provide quality assurance for current practice and responding to changing public and professional attitudes about euthanasia. Arguments against euthanasia rotate around respect for human life, the likelihood of coercing a person to request euthanasia, the possibility that the patient is not fully competent or informed about his/her prognosis, conflicts of interest, proper and effective procedures used, the possibility of diagnostic errors or related medical incompetence, spiritual beliefs in the sacredness of life and danger of embarking upon a ‘slippery slope’ once euthanasia is accepted as a viable option. Alas, even the Church has an "extraordinary clause"!
The subtle choice available is the Advanced Medical Directive whereby a person signed in advance to indicate that he/she does not wish to have any extraordinary life sustaining treatment to prolong life in the event if he/she is terminally ill and is comatose. Under the Act, AMD can only be executed when a patient is certified with a terminal illness, needing life support and not capable of making rational judegment. With AMD, a patient with terminal illness will receive only palliative care and medication.
Do AMD and euthanasia have much in common? Is it just a different way to end life - one legally and the other illegally?
1 comment:
"With AMD, a patient with terminal illness will receive only palliative care and medication."
yeah but AMD just means you get stuck in the middle. You're not dying, but you're not receiving the best health care either so there is little chance of improving wellbeing. Therefore, you cant say that AMD and euthanesia are alike. AMD lets you die a slow death (at least slower than usual). which then makes both incomparable, legally or illegally.
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