What Are The Pros And Cons Of Physician Assisted Suicide
Physician assisted suicide also known as “euthanasia” is physician's way hasten one's death. Physician assisted suicide is legal in five of the fifty states in the United States of America. Those states include Oregon, Montana, Washington and Vermont. In order for physician assisted death, a person must to have a terminal illness and have six months or less to live in order for a physician to do the procedure. Physician assisted suicide can be good in one’s eyes, but completely appalling in others.
Pros and Cons
Cons
Although physician assisted suicide has its the pros, it also has its cons. First, it violates the doctor's hippocratic oath. According to Dictionary.com Hppocratc oath, “an oath stating the obligations and proper conduct of doctors, formerly taken by those beginning medical practice”. This is an oath all doctors take. The oath that has been made up with a lot of thought, so why negate such an important oath? The oath considers human life as sacred; therefore, commanding respect. The consent to end one’s life from the patient himself does not make killing right. Secondly, it decreases the value of human lives. Third, physician assisted suicide allows people to give up too early. There …show more content…
have been many “miracle” cases. Doctors have told patients in many cases that they will only live up to six months and the patient would actually live for far many more years. For instance, “Anthony Orefice was 19 years old when a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed from the chest down. During the struggle, all he could think about is “to be dead”. Twenty years later, Anthony is married, has a 7-year-old son, and manages his own medical supply business” (“Doctor Assisted Suicide,” 2015). If euthanasia was legal in his situation he would not see his wife nor live to see his son. He would have never got to experience the happy life he now lives. This is just one of many cases in which people were initially diagnosed with a terminal diagnosis, but lived much beyond that. “It (physician assisted suicide) could lead to people giving up on treatment and losing good years of their lives,”said Marilyn Golden, senior policy analyst at Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, to Kaiser Health News” (“Doctor Assisted Suicide,” 2015). Euthanasia is not the answer for the doctor nor the patient.
Pros
Physician assisted suicide has many advantages as well.
First off, physician assisted suicide ends suffering. Many patients with terminal illnesses go through an extreme amount of pain. The pain can also turn into fear as the patient knows that death is just around the corner. Euthanasia can help cut short the patient’s suffering and pain and take away the pain the family has to go through, watching them suffer. According to NYLN.org, “It retains dignity.With of doctor-assisted suicide being legalized, patients are able to choose their own death in such a way that retains their dignity”(“Doctor Assisted Suicide,” 2015). This allows patients to choose to be in the surrounding of their choice, such as home, and enjoy the things they enjoy most in their final
moments.
Mental and Emotional Preparation Death is a little easier to handle, approaching it this way. This gives others a “heads up”, that it is going to happen. “ With plans in place and with family and friends informed of the patient’s wish ahead of time, the stages of grief can be easier to handle for everyone. In addition, everyone is given the chance for reconciliation, allowing the patient to leave in peace”, (“Doctors Assisted Suicide”. 2015). A lot of times many have a hard time with one’s death is due to them not spending enough time, or not knowing when they were going to die. With physician assisted suicide, the family has more of an understand of when things are going to happen and what to expect, rather than not knowing and it randomly happening.
Expenses
Physician assisted suicide lowers medical care costs. The average cost of medical care and funeral costs can have,”... a minimum $8,000 in the United States”(“The Cost Of Funeral,” 2014). Drugs for assisted suicide are far less expensive than the cost of medical care such as hospice. This allows the government, as well as the family of patients who are suffering from serious illness, to save money. It gives the family time to save and raise money for their dying loved ones.
Pros and Cons
Cons
Although physician assisted suicide has its the pros, it also has its cons. First, it violates the doctor's hippocratic oath. According to Dictionary.com Hppocratc oath, “an oath stating the obligations and proper conduct of doctors, formerly taken by those beginning medical practice”. This is an oath all doctors take. The oath that has been made up with a lot of thought, so why negate such an important oath? The oath considers human life as sacred; therefore, commanding respect. The consent to end one’s life from the patient himself does not make killing right. Secondly, it decreases the value of human lives. Third, physician assisted suicide allows people to give up too early. There …show more content…
have been many “miracle” cases. Doctors have told patients in many cases that they will only live up to six months and the patient would actually live for far many more years. For instance, “Anthony Orefice was 19 years old when a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed from the chest down. During the struggle, all he could think about is “to be dead”. Twenty years later, Anthony is married, has a 7-year-old son, and manages his own medical supply business” (“Doctor Assisted Suicide,” 2015). If euthanasia was legal in his situation he would not see his wife nor live to see his son. He would have never got to experience the happy life he now lives. This is just one of many cases in which people were initially diagnosed with a terminal diagnosis, but lived much beyond that. “It (physician assisted suicide) could lead to people giving up on treatment and losing good years of their lives,”said Marilyn Golden, senior policy analyst at Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, to Kaiser Health News” (“Doctor Assisted Suicide,” 2015). Euthanasia is not the answer for the doctor nor the patient.
Pros
Physician assisted suicide has many advantages as well.
First off, physician assisted suicide ends suffering. Many patients with terminal illnesses go through an extreme amount of pain. The pain can also turn into fear as the patient knows that death is just around the corner. Euthanasia can help cut short the patient’s suffering and pain and take away the pain the family has to go through, watching them suffer. According to NYLN.org, “It retains dignity.With of doctor-assisted suicide being legalized, patients are able to choose their own death in such a way that retains their dignity”(“Doctor Assisted Suicide,” 2015). This allows patients to choose to be in the surrounding of their choice, such as home, and enjoy the things they enjoy most in their final
moments.
Mental and Emotional Preparation Death is a little easier to handle, approaching it this way. This gives others a “heads up”, that it is going to happen. “ With plans in place and with family and friends informed of the patient’s wish ahead of time, the stages of grief can be easier to handle for everyone. In addition, everyone is given the chance for reconciliation, allowing the patient to leave in peace”, (“Doctors Assisted Suicide”. 2015). A lot of times many have a hard time with one’s death is due to them not spending enough time, or not knowing when they were going to die. With physician assisted suicide, the family has more of an understand of when things are going to happen and what to expect, rather than not knowing and it randomly happening.
Expenses
Physician assisted suicide lowers medical care costs. The average cost of medical care and funeral costs can have,”... a minimum $8,000 in the United States”(“The Cost Of Funeral,” 2014). Drugs for assisted suicide are far less expensive than the cost of medical care such as hospice. This allows the government, as well as the family of patients who are suffering from serious illness, to save money. It gives the family time to save and raise money for their dying loved ones.