Euthanasia Pamela Ramos

Euthanasia is the practice of ending the life of a patient to limit the patient’s suffering.  The patient in question would typically be terminally ill or experiencing great pain and suffering. Euthanasia is a very controversial topic and many people feel that it is not proper and are against it. Although many people may feel that way, I believe that euthanasia can help a very ill patient to stop suffering; it can limit hospital suicides; and since it is done by professionals no harm is done to the patient when asking for the euthanasia. 

Euthanasia can help a very ill patient to stop suffering. Usually if the patient is not in a coma or if they are conscious they make the decision for themselves. If this is not the case, they choose someone trustworthy to make the decision for them. When someone is suffering from a terminal disease, euthanasia can be a good choice for them because they can end their suffering right there. “Many terminally ill patients who are in the final stages of their lives have requested doctors to aid them in exercising active euthanasia. It is sad to realize that these people are in great agony and that to them the only hope of bringing that agony to a halt is through assisted suicide.  Euthanasia for some carries a negative connotation; it is the same as murder. For others, however, euthanasia is the act of putting someone to death painlessly, or allowing a person suffering from an incurable and painful disease or condition to die by withholding extreme medical measures. But after studying both sides of the issue, a compassionate individual must conclude that competent terminal patients should be given the right to assisted suicide in order to end their suffering, reduce the damaging financial effects of hospital care on their families, and preserve the individual right of people to determine their own fate.”

Euthanasia can help limit hospital suicides. When someone is not given the choice of euthanasia they can result into harming themselves or even taking their own lives. In the end this can not only harm them, but they could survive and have to face some really bad consequences in the future. “Requests for euthanasia often come from patients experiencing unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement. Their request must be made earnestly and with full conviction. They see euthanasia as the only escape from the situation. However, patients have no absolute right to euthanasia and doctors no absolute duty to perform it.”

Euthanasia is done by professionals, so when a patient asks or receives euthanasia, they won’t get harmed. These professionals also make sure that the patient has a good and justified reason to go through with euthanasia. Doctors have studied for a long time and have the medicine/equipment for them to do euthanasia on someone and not harm them so they can go peacefully. “Termination of life on request can take two forms. In the case of euthanasia, the physician administers a fatal dose of a suitable drug to the patient. In assisted suicide, by contrast, the physician supplies the lethal drug but the patient administers it. Both forms are covered by the Act and in both cases doctors must fulfil the statutory due care criteria..."

Most of us know the feeling of losing a loved one, but we also have to think about how they feel and how they are the ones suffering. Euthanasia can be something very scary, but in the end the patient should have the right to chose whether they want to live and deal with all their suffering or if they should just end it. Laws shouldn't tell us what we can and can’t do with our bodies especially if we’re the ones that face the consequences and the ones that have to deal with the finances. States and countries should start legalizing Euthanasia so we won’t have any more harmful or tragic deaths.