The traditional practice of sustaining life by doctors and medical practitioners has recently been in question by Canadian parliament and media. Although the health care system in the United States differs, the Oregon Death with Dignity Act has demonstrated success in maintaining regulations in the practice and has been reviewed by other institutions. (Haigh). Therefore, similar legislation should be introduced in Canada, allowing physician-assisted suicide, a form of euthanasia. The legalization of a similar act would improve the quality of life of terminally ill patients, preserve tissues for organ donation and follow the ethical practices of doctors in deciding treatments.
A reduced quality of life is associated with patients diagnosed with degenerative or incurable diseases, as advances in medical treatment ultimately extend a predicted life expectancy (Canada. Social Affairs and Population). In a cross-sectional survey, quality of life and loss of independence were the main reasons for physician-assisted death requests in Oregon (Gazini, Goy, and Dobscha). The diagnosis of Nigel Pratten with Huntington’s disease caused limitations in daily routines and therefore was reasoning for his suicide, “it's not the life I want, I cannot go out with my friends, can't draw, can't do what I want to do. What have I got left?" (Somani). The inability to preform daily tasks was due to the involuntary movements and worsening of cognitive functions characterized by Huntington’s disease, as evident in Pratten’s diagnosis, as he frequently choked and his legs collapsed, therefore limiting social outings, the ability to draw and overall independence. Diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour, Dr. Donald Low publically countered oppositions to lega...
... middle of paper ...
... Web. 18 Mar 2014. http://www.unckidneycenter.org/25facts.pdf
Somani, Kiran. "Helping your son to die." Student BMJ (2001): 203. Academic OneFile. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA76879618&v=2.1&u=ko_k12hs_d50&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=7425685f159b65f5e12d47569b1bdb34 "Organ Donation." - The Kidney Foundation of Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.
Canada. Social Affairs and Population. Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide in Canada. Martha Butler, Marlisa Tiedemann, Julia Nicol, and Dominique Valiquet. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. .
Symons, Xavier. "Euthanased Patients a New Source of Organ Donations in Belgium." BioEdge N.p., 7 Sept. 2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. .
Diane: A Case of Physician Assisted Suicide. Diane was a patient of Dr. Timothy Quill, who was diagnosed with acute myelomonocytic leukemia. Diane overcame alcoholism and had vaginal cancer in her youth. She had been under his care for a period of 8 years, during which an intimate doctor-patient bond had been established.
The discussion of physician-assisted suicide is frequently focused around the ethical implications. The confusion commonly surfaces from the simple question, what is physician-assisted suicide? Physician-assisted suicide can be defined as a circumstance in which a medical physician provides a lethal dose of medication to a patient with a fatal illness. In this case, the patient has given consent, as well as direction, to the physician to ethically aid in their death (Introduction to Physician-Assisted Suicide: At Issue,
Campbell, Courtney. "'Aid-in-Dying' and the taking of Human Life." Journal of Medical Ethics. 18.3 (1992 ): 128-134. Web. 2 March 2015.
The ongoing controversy about Physician assisted suicides is an ongoing battle among physicians, patients and court systems. The question of whether or not individuals have the “right” to choose death over suffering in their final days or hours of life continues to be contested. On one side you have the physicians and the Hippocratic Oath they took to save lives; on the other you have the patients’ right to make life choices, even if that means to choose death to end suffering. The ultimate question “is it ethical for a physician to agree to assisted suicides and is it ethical for a patient to request assisted suicide?
gotten to the point where they feel as if there is no point in living.
Marker and Hamlon. “Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide: Frequently Asked Questions.” International Task Force. 2009. .
In fact, traditional medical objectives remain intact and that includes caring, curing and alleviating patient’s suffering. Opponents of euthanasia would thus question the core morality of medicine if the fundamental objective were altered in ways that are not compatible with the protection of human dignity, such ending the life of a patient. Medical ethics thus appreciates the rights of any physician to denounce the practices of euthanasia. Practitioner’s moral or religious values are generally regarded as valuable rationales to object such practices as euthanasia (Nunes & Rego, p.
Physician assisted suicide (PAS) is a very important issue. It is also important tounderstand the terms and distinction between the varying degrees to which a person can be involved in hastening the death of a terminally ill individual. Euthanasia, a word that is often associated with physician assisted suicide, means the act or practice of killing for reasons of mercy. Assisted suicide takes place when a dying person who wishes to precipitate death, requests help in carrying out the act. In euthanasia, the dying patients may or may not be aware of what is happening to them and may or may not have requested to die. In an assisted suicide, the terminally ill person wants to die and has specifically asked for help. Physician-assisted suicide occurs when the individual assisting in the suicide is a doctor rather than a friend or family member. Because doctors are the people most familiar with their patients’ medical condition and have knowledge of and access to the necessary means to cause certain death, terminally ill patients who have made
One of the greatest dangers facing chronic and terminally ill patients is the grey area regarding PAS. In the Netherlands, there are strict criteria for the practice of PAS. Despite such stringencies, the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (1992) found 28% of the PAS cases in the Netherlands did not meet the criteria. The evidence suggests some of the patient’s lives may have ended prematurely or involuntarily. This problem can be addressed via advance directives. These directives would be written by competent individuals explaining their decision to be aided in dying when they are no longer capable of making medical decisions. These interpretations are largely defined by ones morals, understanding of ethics, individual attitudes, religious and cultural values.
Life is essentially a constant victory over death. Although this feat seems ideal, there is a category of society that wishes to lose. Some of these people turn to assisted suicide in order to fulfill their ultimate desires. Oregon, Washington, and Vermont are currently the only states that allow this act to be carried out. Commonly assumed to be synonymous to euthanasia, the most palpable difference between to two is who performs the task. In euthanasia, a physician will administer a lethal dosage of medicine, while assisted suicide is characterized by the patient administering it to him or herself. As the issue of legalization gains more momentum, a general argument has formed for the most popular opinions. Supporters believe in “death with dignity,” while the opposing side views assisted suicide as the gateway to physicians killing their patients. Being the first state to legalize assisted suicide, what views did Oregon consider when making the decision?
Cotton, Paul. "Medicine's Position Is Both Pivotal And Precarious In Assisted Suicide Debate." The Journal of the American Association 1 Feb. 1995: 363-64.
Thesis Statement: Physician assisted suicide or euthanasia may offer an accelerated and pain relieved alternative to end someone’s suffering, therefore people should not be denied the right to die especially when faced with terminal illnesses.
Thus, despite the arguments against euthanasia, patients’ lives should not be deprived of well-being, comfort or dignity. “In the last stage of life, every person is entitled to a high standard of care and a stable environment in which his or her privacy is respected” (Policy Options, 2013). A lot of the time, patients with terminal illnesses are thought of as ‘better off dead’ or ‘not the person they used to be’. This is all the more the reason why euthanasia should be legalized in Canada. The government should relax current laws and allow doctors to participate in assisted suicide if need be and are willing. If people suffering with terminal illnesses want to die peacefully and not endure painful procedures or live off machines whilst also helping society out money wise, the option should be available.
... Association. 1998. “Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide.” Canadian Medical Association Board of Directors. Retrieved from http://www.cma.ca/index.php/ci_id/3214/la_id/1.htm on October 16th, 2010.
Did you know, about 57% of physicians today have received some sort of request for physician-assisted suicide from a suffering terminally ill patient? These requests have been occurring since medicine has been around. This act is called Euthanasia, which is the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma. Furthermore, there are two key principles that all organized medicine agrees upon. The first one being that physicians have a responsibility to relieve pain and suffering of dying patients in their care. The second being physicians must respect patients ' competent decisions to decline life-sustaining treatment. In other words, these principles state that the patients over the age