Research Paper on Physician Assisted Suicide: The Right to Die With Dignity

Introduction

In the history of the ethics of medicine, the issue of assisted suicide or euthanasia is one of the most discussed. There are those who believe that people have the right to choose for themselves how they want to die, while there are those who argue against the same where they state that die is a natural process and none should be allowed to initiate death. Dying with dignity is where one decides that they can go through assisted suicide, especially in the case where they are suffering from an ailment that is terminal (Karaarslan 703). The main argument is attached to the fact that if abortion can be done where the fetus is terminated for the sake of saving the life of a mother, why can one therefore not have a choice in the way they want to have their life ends?

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The complexity of the matter arises from the fact that life is sacred and that it needs to be respected, and at the same time life is the right of a person and that it is up to them to decide on how they want to die. The fact that people can live with dignity, the same should also apply with regards to dying. People decide to choose to die with dignity especially when they are suffering from diseases that are lethal and have no cure (Manson 31). For the sufferers, the only way of making sure that they end their pain is by dying, since in some cases using medical means may prove to be expensive. Terminal suffering that is intractable denies patients the right to live in dignity, besides the fact that medical science only prolongs the suffering through keeping the person alive. Family members of the victim also go through unprecedented pressure to make sure that their family member does not suffer, and at times the only option existing for them is to heed to what the patient asks of them, or make the hard decision on behalf of their loved one (Niekerk).

The right to die is also a democratic right that came up as a result of the existence of democracy. In some cases, it may be very difficult to deny an 85-year-old cancer patient the right to die, especially when they have no relatives or friends to fight for them. The situation is different in a case where the person suffering is under fifty years, with a wife and some children who are hoping that their father would survive (Torrey). At the same time, the father is in danger as he is due to face the court for being part of an embezzling case. In such a case, one would say the man has a right to die with dignity, as opposed to being enabled to survive so that they can die later in shame while in jail. Prolonging life and promoting health is not the main mission of medical professionals, as their aim is to make sure that a person is not suffering from whatever illness (Torrey). When a patient suggests that for them not to suffer they have to die, doctors, therefore, have an obligation to execute that request without any delay. It is better for the patient to make the request themselves when they are in their right state of mind, as opposed to a case where they get to a point where someone else makes the decision for them. At that point, the patient may be unable to make any sane decisions, and killing them may be deemed as murder by the executioner.

From a medical perspective, physician-assisted death is beneficial to other people, especially when there is proper planning for its happening. Proper planning implies that the patient can have some of their organs harvested and used by other people who are ill but have higher chances of survival. Some organs like the heart and kidneys could be very useful to other people, and when a person who is terminally ill knows that their death can be helpful to other people, it is essential that they are assisted to die for that sake. There is the other angle of family members also suffering from the fact that they are seeing their loved one suffering, and the worst is that they can do nothing to alleviate their pain. Some people have seen their own being bed-ridden for many years without any hope of being well (Namendys-Silva 1186). That pain combined with the strain of raising finances to cater for medical expenses makes the situation less bearable. Ending all these is only possible when the patient is dead, and the responsibility of finding more finances for their treatment goes away.

While there are numerous reasons as to why people need to choose to die with dignity, the arguments against the same also need to be taken into consideration for various reasons. The first one is that despite the existence of voluntary euthanasia, it is something that can be abused easily when people decide to treat all cases of euthanasia as being voluntary (Woods and Bickley Asher 15-16). Just as it is the case with abortion, where it can only be done when the life of a mother is in danger, many people do it even when they are not in danger. The threat of having dignity deaths is that controlling the same is difficult, and determining all of them as being voluntary may also prove to be hard. For instance, in the Netherlands, where euthanasia is legit, out of 3000 cases of assisted suicide, 1000 are unreported and it is believed that the reason behind the same is that they are not assisted as they are true instances of murder. In addition to that, there is a moral push behind legalizing assisted death, as life is sacred and needs to be respected irrespective of the situation. The moral duty of doctors is to make sure that a person is alive before they can make attempts to ensure that the person is free from suffering. Killing the person is a way of avoiding the duty of alleviating suffering (Velleman 677). Besides the use of medicine, there are many palliative ways of care that can make a person in pain feel comfortable, and the Netherlands as a country accepting euthanasia has many of them. Justification of euthanasia is mainly based on personal reasons and decisions from the patient, doctor, or relative.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while there are many arguments against someone choosing to die with dignity, the choice to die is up to the person just as they have a choice of staying alive. Most people wish to stay alive, but when they are suffering and nothing can be done to end their pain death becomes an option. When the patient asks for the same, doctors need to respect the same and help them carry out their wish.

Works Cited

Karaarslan, Bekir. "Assessment Of Nurses' Views About Euthanasia According To Their Departments." Dicle Medical Journal 41.4 (2014): 700-706. Web.

Manson, Celia. "Safeguards Should Be Focus Of Assisted Suicide Debate." Nursing Standard 25.42 (2014): 31-31. Web.Namendys-Silva

Silvio A. "The Right To Live With Dignity And The Right To Die With Dignity." Journal of Palliative Medicine 20.11 (2017): 1186-1186. Web.

Niekerk, Anton Van. "We Have A Right To Die With Dignity. The Medical Profession Has A Duty To Assist." The Conversation. N.p., 2016. Web. 9 Mar. 2019.

Torrey, Trisha. "Weighing The Benefits Of Right-To-Die Legislation." Verywell Health. N.p., 2018. Web. 9 Mar. 2019.

Velleman, J. D. "Against The Right To Die." Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 17.6 (2016): 665-681. Web. 9 Mar. 2019.

Woods, M., and J. Bickley Asher. "Nurses And The Euthanasia Debate: Reflections From New Zealand." International Nursing Review 62.1 (2014): 13-20. Web.