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The Hippocratic Oath of Killing Patients

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Pamela Bone, an American author, once said, “I'm not afraid of being dead. I'm just afraid of what you might have to go through to get there.” For terminally ill patients, euthanasia may be a choice for some. Being euthanized would end any suffering a loved one is forced to face while on their deathbed. It gives the patient the option to no longer prolong his or her last breath in agony, but rather under their own wish. It would be selfish to hold onto the relative only because the family does not want them to pass away, especially when the patient wanted to.

It is the doctor’s and medical staff’s responsibility to meet the need of each patient’s need and do what they think is best for the patient (“Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide”). The doctor is not giving his best incentive care of the patient if he or she is suffering and have no will to live. The doctor, therefore, is not meeting his patient’s needs. If he or she chooses to be euthanized after suffering from a terminal illness, then it is the medical staff’s responsibility to meet the patient’s request. The support of euthanasia is on the rise for doctors now days (Newfield). Medical staff believes it is against the Hippocratic Oath of killing patients, but the oath also states to do no harm to the patient which they are doing by allowing their illness to take over them (“Euthanasia”).

Money spent on medication and attentive care for these terminally ill patients could be saved for patients who have a good chance at life or organs could be taken from one who does not wish to live and given to someone who does (Messerli). Imagine a relative suffering from a form of cancer and has a 70% chance of beating it and/or having a great chance of a normal, healthy life again. The insu...

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...de, and Patient Rights.” Louisiana Right to Life Federation. N.d. Web. 30 January 2014.

Hudson, Peter L.Kristjanson, Linda J.Ashby, MichaelKelly, BrianSchofield, PenelopeHudson, RosalieAranda, SanchiaO'Connor, MargaretStreet, Annette. "Desire For Hastened Death In Patients With Advanced Disease And The Evidence Base Of Clinical Guidelines: A Systematic Review." Palliative Medicine 20.7 (2006): 693-701. Alt HealthWatch. Web. 3 Feb. 2014.

Messerli, Joe. “Should an incurably-ill patient be able to commit physician-assisted suicide?” Balanced Politics. N.d. Web. 22 January 2014.

Newfield, Philippa. “Euthanasia, Physician Assisted Suicide and the Dying Patient: Medical Status.” Jewis Virtual Library. N.d. Web. 30 January 2014.

Pollard, Brian. “Current euthanasia law in the Netherlands.” CERC: Catholic Education Resource Center. 2003. Web. 30 January 2014.
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