Upload
irfan-youngman
View
72
Download
1
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
1
2
Euthanasia
3
Introduction
The term ‘Euthanasia’ comes from the Greek word
‘eu’ meaning "good”, and ‘thanatos’ meaning "death”
The word "euthanasia" was first used in a medical context
by Francis Bacon in the 17th century, to refer to an easy,
painless, happy death, during which it was a "physician's
responsibility to alleviate the 'physical sufferings'
4
Introduction Background
Hippocrates (460 BC – 370 BC)
• Euthanasia was practiced in Ancient Greece and Roman
civilizations as they opined that there was no need to preserve
the life of a person who had no interest in living, or who thought
life as a burden
5
Introduction Background
1300s – According to the English jurisdiction of the
suicide as well as helping people to kill themselves were
considered as a criminal act
Mercy killing was also not supported by the ascendancy
of Christianity (12th till 15th century)
1828 – The first law against assisted killing, known as
anti-euthanasia was passed in New York
6
Introduction Background
1870 – In this year, Samuel Williams suggested the use
of morphine and analgesic medications for assisting quick
and painless death
1885 – Exactly 15 years after Samuel Williams raised the
proposal, the American Medical Association strongly
denied the use of analgesic for euthanasia
Beginning of 20th century – mercy killing and assisted
killing already entered the minds of the public
7
Introduction Background
1905 – A bill for making it legal was circulated in Ohio, but
it failed. A similar bill was introduced in the next year,
which also failed
1935 – The first group for legalization of euthanasia,
called Voluntary Euthanasia Legislation Society (VELS),
was founded by a group of doctors in London
1938 – National Society for the Legalization of
Euthanasia (NSLE) came into existence
8
Introduction Background
1940 – Non-voluntary euthanasia was practiced for the
first time by German physicians, to eliminate the diseased
and disabled Germans in closed gas chambers
1945 – It was estimated that 300,000 Germans had been
killed
1986 – Doctor Joseph Hassman was charged for
administering a lethal dose to his mother-in-law
9
Introduction Background
1999 – Euthanasia became a public issue, with the
imprisonment of Dr. Jack Kevorkian for conducting
voluntary euthanasia on Thomas Youk (52), who was in
the final stage of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
• Charged with second-degree murder, and he served eight
years in prison (from 1999 to 2007)
• 130 other patients
10
Introduction Background
2001 – The euthanasia law was adopted in Belgium, this
law defines conditions for doctors to avoid penal
punishment
2008 – U.S. state of Washington legalizes assisted
suicide
11
Introduction Background
Though euthanasia is still illegal in England, King George
V, 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936, was euthanized
12
Aim
To briefly apprise about the Ethical issues /
dilemmas associated with Euthanasia
13
Sequence Types of Euthanasia
Ethical Issues
Moral Dilemma
Euthanasia Law
Arguments for Euthanasia
Euthanasia and Religion
Recommendations
Conclusion
14
Types of Euthanasia
15
Types of Euthanasia Active
It is when death is brought by an act for example taking
a high dose of drugs
Either by oneself or by the aid of a physician
16
Types of Euthanasia Passive
When death is brought by an omission
• Withdrawing treatment, For example switching off a machine
that keeps the person alive
• Withholding treatment, For example not carrying out a surgery
that will extend life of the patient for a short time
17
Types of Euthanasia Types
Voluntary Euthanasia – When a competent person makes
a voluntary and enduring request to be helped to die
Involuntary Euthanasia – To end a person’s life without
their knowledge or consent
18
Ethical Issues
19
Ethical Issues
Morals
Morals refer to an individual's own principles regarding
right and wrong
Ethics
Moral principles or Rules of conduct recognized in
respect to a particular class of human actions or a
particular group or culture
20
Ethical Issues
Ethics
The Hippocratic Oath that doctors take states
• “I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor
suggest any such counsel”
• Do no harm
21
Ethical Issues
Ethics
Nuremberg Code is a set of research ethics principles
for human experimentation set as a result of the
subsequent Nuremberg trials at the end of the Second
World War
Belmont Report
• Respect for person
• Beneficence
• Justice
22
Moral Dilemma
23
Moral Dilemma Euthanasia
The question thus becomes: under what conditions is
euthanasia morally acceptable?
• Discussion of particular cases often turns on the type of
euthanasia involved
– Assisted Suicide
– Voluntary vs Non-voluntary Euthanasia
– Active vs Passive Euthanasia
24
Moral Dilemma Euthanasia
Suppose someone has a terminal cancer and that all
conventional treatments have failed and will die soon
• Experimental drug
Some promise
Very unpleasant side effects
• Few would argue that it is immoral for doctors to accept his
wish to refuse taking part in this experiment and opt for
euthanasia
25
Moral Dilemma Who are these patients?
The frail aged
Those with dementia
Survivors of severe head injury
Those with serious terminal physical illness
Those with incurable mental illness
Severely impaired children and adults
26
Moral Dilemma Euthanasia fundamentally upsets the balance between doctor
and patient
We must consider the advisability of allowing doctors to
act in a way contrary to the rest of society
There are serious concerns in removing constraints on
the way doctors can conduct themselves
27
Moral Dilemma Legislative support for euthanasia
Erodes standards of end-of-life care
Becomes available to a wider group than those with
terminal cancer
Upsets the doctor-patient relationship
28
Moral Dilemma Legislating in favour of euthanasia is no substitute for
Better care
Improved pain and symptom management
Better teamwork
Better research
29
Euthanasia Law
30
Euthanasia Law Legitimacy of Euthanasia Law
9 countries have legalized euthanasia or assisted death
• Netherlands
• Belgium
• Colombia
• Luxembourg
• Switzerland
• Germany
• Japan
• Albania
• US (States of Washington, Oregon, Vermont, New Mexico and Montana)
31
Arguments for Euthanasia
32
Arguments for Euthanasia In favour
Freedom of choice
Dignity
Painless death
Saves family's money
Organs can be put to good use
Shorten the grief and suffering of the patient's loved ones
33
Arguments for Euthanasia Against
Professional roles compromised
Moral religious argument
Legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide leads to
suicide contagion
Rejection of the importance and value of human life
34
Arguments for Euthanasia Against
Demeans the sanctify of life, it is murder and its only
God who can take away human life
It destroys life which has potential that is yet unknown to
the patient, doctor or the family members
Euthanasia would not only be for people who are
"terminally ill
It discourages scientists who are looking for a cure for
incurable ailments
35
Euthanasia and Religion
36
Euthanasia and Religion
Christianity
Catholicism
• Based on core principles of sanctity of human life, condemns
euthanasia as a "crime against God“
Protestantism
• Physician assisted dying has obtained greater legal support
37
Euthanasia and Religion
Hinduism
Helping to end a painful life a person is performing a good
deed and so fulfilling their moral obligations
Disturbing the timing of the cycle of death and rebirth
38
Euthanasia and Religion
Judaism
Increasing support for certain passive euthanasia options
Jainism
“Sallekhana” is made up of two words sal (meaning
'properly') and lekhana, which means to thin out
Person is allowed to fast unto death
39
Euthanasia and Religion
Buddhism
Compassion is used by some Buddhists as a justification
for euthanasia because the person suffering is relieved of
pain
Immoral "to embark on any course of action whose aim is to
destroy human life, irrespective of the quality of the individual's
motive"
40
Euthanasia and Religion
Shinto
Prolongation of life using artificial means is a disgraceful
act against life
• 69% of the religious organizations agree with the act of
voluntary passive euthanasia
• 25% supporting voluntary active euthanasia
41
Euthanasia and Religion Islam
All humans life is sacred because it is given by God, and
that God chooses how long each person lives
• "Do not kill yourselves, Surely, Allâh is Most Merciful to you"
(4:29)
• When their time comes they cannot delay it for a single hour nor
can they bring it forward by a single hour
Qur'an 16:61
• And no person can ever die except by Allah's leave and at an
appointed term
Qur'an 3:145
42
Recommendations
43
Recommendations
Usamah ibn Shuraik narrated, “… O Allah’s
Messenger! Should we seek medical treatment for
our illnesses?’ He replied: ‘Yes, you should seek
medical treatment, because Allah, the Exalted, has
let no disease exist without providing for its cure,
except for one ailment, namely, old age”
Tirmidhi
44
Recommendations
Abu Hurayrah narrates that The Prophet pbuh said,
“There is no disease that Allah has created, except
that He also has created its remedy.”
Bukhari 7.582
45
Recommendations
Abu Hurayrah narrates that The Prophet pbuh said,
“There is no disease that Allah has created, except
that He also has created its remedy.”
Bukhari 7.582
46
Recommendations
Pay more attention to finding cure than opting for
euthanasia
Saving lives and improving the quality should be the
prime responsibility and duty of the Health Care
Professionals
47
Conclusion
48
Conclusion
“O My servants who have transgressed against their
souls do not despair of Allah’s mercy, for Allah
forgives all sins. Indeed it is He who is the Forgiving,
the Merciful”Quran 39.53
49