Physician-Assisted Suicide: A Right to Murder? Doctors spend over eight years attending college, studying and practicing how humans work and how to save them. So why should it be right for physicians to help out their patients in killing themselves? If a person chooses to end their life, they completely loose the possibility of a medical miracle of being able to live through whatever condition they have. Instead of doctors taking the easy way out, they should work to find a solution to nurse the patient back to health. Physician-assisted suicide is wrong because it is murder, it puts an emotional burden on hospital employees and family members of the patient by taking part in a purposeful death, and it goes against the religious view that …show more content…
Both parties, family and hospital employees, can be affected by physician- assisted suicide. Doctors and nurses provide the means for the patient to end their own life and being responsible for that can create guilt and regret. As for family members, they may later feel regret for going along with the decision. The family may also feel pressured financially due to extremely high medical costs and insurance companies pushing for physician- assisted suicide. In 2010, over one forth of patients who killed themselves with medical assistance in Oregon and Washington, did so because they did not want to be a burden to their family (Harned, 2012). Families may also take selfish actions by not wanting to continue paying the medical costs to keep the person alive because that money they are spending would eventually become their inheritance. Families and doctors may also feel regret from the assisted death because they may have been able to live through the disease or illness. An example from one of Dr. Jack Kevorkian's patients proved that a wrong diagnosis could make the use of euthanasia a huge mistake. One of his patients had “committed suicide” with his assistance, because she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. It was later discovered after an autopsy was completed on the patient, that she in fact did not have Multiple Sclerosis and if she would have had a second opinion done, she most likely would have made a completely different choice in dealing with her issue. The patient’s daughter was the one looking into her mother’s situation and the regret and guilt that is flooding over her is unspeakable. It is an easy mistake for a doctor to give a wrong diagnosis. A personal incident relating to this issue would be when my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer. He had just gotten back from being deployed overseas and returned due to some health issues. He had had the cancer
The topic of Physician-assisted suicide, or physician aid-in-dying, is a highly debated topic, especially when it comes down to whether this action be legal or not. The definition of Physician-assisted suicide can be defined as the act of intentionally killing yourself with the aid of a medical professional, such as a physician. The practice of Physician-assisted suicide still remains illegal in forty-five states excluding the states of Oregon, Vermont, Montana, California, and Washington. Although states have tried to make this practice legal, the practice of Physician-assisted suicide has become a crime in most. The practice of Physician-assisted suicide should not be illegal.
Lastly, those who commit physician assisted suicide can save the lives of others. Pre-informed deaths help hospitals save the vital organs of the person willing to die and prepare for a successful transplant. Death is unpredictable, but many organs are
First, patients have the right to choose what kind of treatment they get, and whether to get treatment or not. Because they have the right to die with dignity and in a humane way. They will get prolonged pain if they don’t die. Second, physician assisted suicide can take away burden of patient and their family. Because some patients feel emotionally, physically and financially drain members of the family because of their being sick.
Patients might make decisions quickly, without fully thinking and considering the consequences and other options that may be available. In the article “Legalizing Physician-Assisted Suicide Would Lead to Patient Abuse”, Kevin Irvine states that, “If assisted suicide were legal, for every person who will make a careful, reasoned decision to end his or her life, there will likely be those who act in haste, under pressure…” While some patients may think about it, some patients may hastily make the decision without fully thinking about what they are doing. Patients may not think about what is best for them, but what is best for others, and may make the decision thinking that their life is not worth anything. They may not realize that other options are
Assisted suicide is a tough decision that comes down to what you morally believe in. The author of the article “The right to die” believes that doctor assisted suicide should be legalized in more states than just the four that it is. He approaches the topic from an ethical standpoint, stating its rights and wrongs. This essay will include reasons as to why assisted suicide should be legalized, how the system of death should work and if it is morally right. Only in four states is assisted suicide mandated by state law: Oregon, Washington, Vermont and California.
Physician Assisted suicide is the act of a doctor helping the patient die because the patient is suffering from an incurable disease and are terminally ill. Unless you are terminally ill this is something you might never understand. Until I started researching more about assisted suicide I never understood really what it was. If a patient is terminally ill I believe that they should have the right to decide whether to end their life or continue. If the patient decides ending their life will help them, it should be the job of the doctor to provide and help the patient die safely and free of as much pain as possible.
Often, the physician prescribes a lethal dosage of a drug to a patient, after the patient has been cleared of all mental disorders by a physiatrist. From there, the patient takes the prescribed dosage and dies peacefully. But the question should people be allowed to end their life with the help of a physician? Is this ethical? The Bible does not allow killing, even if it is compassionate killing.
“Legislation that allows people to end their lives automatically creates incentives to seek death as a cost-saving option. The elderly and infirm are seen as burdens and can easily be disposed of. Suicide becomes the easy way out.” (Ben Broussard) Most of the time physicians are against the idea of physician assisted suicide because it goes against their job description and personal beliefs.
After researching both sides of the argument, it is clear that the benefits of physician-assisted suicide outweigh the disadvantages. The benefits of ending a patient’s pain and suffering, minimizing the emotional and financial effects on families, and preserving the right for patients to decide their own fate, supports the legalization of physician-assisted suicide.
Patients have the right to the kind of treatment they want. 3) Conclusion a) Physician assisted suicide can help treat the terminally ill how they would like to be treated. b) The long history of assisted suicide speaks for itself in the matter of if it should be legal or
Although I think doctor assisted suicide should be legal I understand that some people think it’s morally wrong and people’s lives should end naturally. However we have to realize that these people only are living with incurable illnesses and are in excruciating pain. I think it’s wrong to force them to continue living like that if they do not wish to. The opposing side also says that doctor assisted suicide is against their religion but they have to realize that not everyone in the country has the same
Many people think that there are too many problems with physician assisted suicide. Physician assisted suicide is a procedure that allows physicians to prescribe their patients a lethal medication that they can inject themselves with in order to die on their own terms. There are specific requirements that the patients must meet in order to receive this medication. Physician assisted suicide is only for patients that have life threatening illnesses and do not have much time left to live. It is legal in numerous places around the world including certain places in the United States.
The privilege to helped suicide is a well talked about topic that worries an enormous about of individuals everywhere throughout the United States. A large amount of individual are against this because religious reasons along with personal beliefs. Several others agree with assisted suicide because of their symphony for the terminally ill. Doctors are equally divided on the issue since most of them draw the lines between life, death and their oath to help patients. Numerous incurable patients in the last stages of life have asked for help them end their suffering.
The medical field is filled with opportunities and procedures that are used to help improve a patient’s standard of living and allow them to be as comfortable as possible. Physician assisted suicide (PAS) is a method, if permitted by the government, that can be employed by physicians across the world as a way to ease a patient’s pain and suffering when all else fails. PAS is, “The voluntary termination of one's own life by administration of a lethal substance with the direct or indirect assistance of a physician.”-Medicinenet.com. This procedure would be the patient’s decision and would allow the patient to end their lives in a more peaceful and comfortable way, rather than suffering until the illness takes over completely. Physician assisted suicide should be permitted by the government because it allows patients to end their suffering and to pass with dignity, save their families and the hospital money, and it allows doctors to preserve vital organs to save
Everyone deserves to live a happy and healthy life. If someone feels that they don't want to live anymore due to pain or unhappiness are doctors allowed to respect their wishes and help them end their life? Doerflinger does not agree with assisted suicide because he feels that it will lead to a slippery slopes which will allow the wrongful practices of killing. Peter Singer believes that assisted suicide is permissible because a person is voluntarily asking for it and it will help end their suffering. I believe that euthanasia should not be used because doctors can soon find a cure for whatever the patient is going through.