Is Euthanasia Ethically Wrong

Euthanasia has to be one of the most controversial and sensitive topics in current times. Historically, it has been condemned for a myriad of reasons, ranging from religious beliefs to violations of medical standards to even the word's association with the Holocaust. But euthanasia is often a misunderstood topic. Most people, at first glance, conflate euthanasia with murder. In reality, however, the two could not be any more different. Murder is an act of malice, while euthanasia is an act of mercy. This is a position that has been advocated by doctors in the past, but only now is really gaining traction. Their arguments, which are mostly based around the rights of the patient, are extremely convincing. And they all but point to one conclusion:
Translated as “do no harm”, this Latin phrase is one of the most fundamental principles of medical ethics. It is often associated with what is commonly known as the Hippocratic Oath, despite the exact phrase not being in the actual text. This is understandable, as “do no harm” virtually summarizes the main points made in the aforementioned oath, which many doctors around the world swear by. In addition, the Declaration of Geneva, a document adopted by the World Medical Association with both a similar sentiment and purpose, holds doctors accountable for maintaining respect and honour for human life and not using their medical knowledge to violate human rights. Some would argue that this goes against euthanasia, since “killing” patients would be showing a complete disregard for the sanctity of life and a gross violation of human rights. But according to the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, this is not so. The text states
According to Euthanasia Examined: Ethical, Clinical, and Legal Perspectives by John Keown, there once was a patient named Lillian Boyes who was suffering from a severely debilitating case of rheumatoid arthritis. Seeking to relieve herself of her constant agony, Mrs. Boyes approached Dr. Nigel Cox to request to be euthanized. Now, to provide some context, according to a chaplain who was working at the hospital, Mrs. Boyes' condition was so severe that “you could hear her bones move about in their joints” when anyone touched her. Another witness also said that she “would scream like a dog” if she made physical contact with anything. As is apparent, this affliction brought her an immense amount of suffering that could not be alleviated with any analgesics, and so she had no other choice but to turn to euthanasia as a desperate last resort to get rid of her pain. When someone is being tormented like this day and night, is it not unethical to deprive them from being freed of this burden? Is it not the right of a patient to be relieved of suffering? It is the responsibility of doctors to meet patients' needs and desires at every stage of the illness. By refusing to euthanize them in cases like this, they are effectively doing the exact