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Euthanasia presentation

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Euthanasia

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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'

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Introduction Background

Though euthanasia is still illegal in England, King George

V, 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936, was euthanized

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Aim

To briefly apprise about the Ethical issues /

dilemmas associated with Euthanasia

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Sequence Types of Euthanasia

Ethical Issues

Moral Dilemma

Euthanasia Law

Arguments for Euthanasia

Euthanasia and Religion

Recommendations

Conclusion

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Types of Euthanasia

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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

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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

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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

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Ethical Issues

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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

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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

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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

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Moral Dilemma

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Moral Dilemma Legislating in favour of euthanasia is no substitute for

Better care

Improved pain and symptom management

Better teamwork

Better research

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Euthanasia Law

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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)

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Arguments for Euthanasia

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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

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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

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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

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Euthanasia and Religion

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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

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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

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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

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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"

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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

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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

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Recommendations

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Conclusion

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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

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