Essay Example on Doctor’s ethical duty is to save a life there also should be an ability to get rid of It

Subcategory:

Category:

Words:

452

Pages:

2

Views:

184
Sounds ridiculous but it is true while doctor’s ethical duty is to save a life there also should be an ability to get rid of it and relieve suffering The main idea is that the ones support a possibility to have a good and light death others believe that a person should live untill the end of his life no matter how hard it is This topic is sensitive in terms of ethics and human rights principles Before analysing the legal side of euthanasia its clear definition should be given The word itself is derived from the Greek word euthanatos which means easy death the process which helps to reduce pain suffering as well as changes in quallity of life resulting from different physical injuries and psychological traumas The term euthanasia is oftenincorrectly used characterising one kind of practice In reality there are different kinds of euthanasia describing its main forms Thus there is voluntary and involuntary euthanasia that has passive and active forms However I would like to pay attention to voluntary euthanasia When medical treatmemt is withheld or withdrawn from a patient at his request in order to end the patient s life we talk about passive voluntary euthanasia When the process is made at the patient s request and when the medical intervention takes place the process is called active voluntary euthanasia


The practise of euthanasia occurs in Australia The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners states that the doctor s responsibility includes relieving suffering and when death is unevitable it should be allowed to occur with comfort and dignity In addition there is a legal side of the question where the causes of death are classified by law The act of voluntary euthanasia is regulated by each state and terrirory allowing to provide in a formal and legal manner the previously described wishes of patients In Australia for example there are two existing forms of instruments that may regulate the withdrawing or withholding of medical treatment advancing directives Advance Care Directives Act 2013 and enduring powers of attorney or guardianship Advance Care Directives Act 2013 It is shown that the legislative regulation in Australia is complex However the Australian context bases on International Australian Human Rights Comission of Euthanasia and human rights Worldwide the situation is following all states have legislation for enduring powers of attorneys or guardianship and all states excluding Tasmania and New South Wales have legislation for advancing directives In order to understand the process better some of comparative examples should be mentioned In United States of America advance directives are mostly provided Enduring power of attorney or quardianship also exists in all states in the United States It means that enough competent adults have rights to state that they do not want to be kept alive by medical support in the later stages of disease When an adult is incompetent legislation gives in some stages a patient s family the chance to make decision about the necessity of medical treatment Similar situation can be seen in the United Kingdom which is regulated by the Mental Capacity


Act UK 2005 and gives a person the right to make a decision itself refusing healthcare treatment in situations where it would result in death Comparing to the United States the UK Act allows to appoint an agent a person who will act on the behalf of the patient if accidentally he will loose capacity to make a decision itself The attorney can be also authorised to give or refuse the medical treatment In some provinces of Canada the legislation allows to make advance directives that will take into consideration a person s wishes regarding their future health care Similar to the legislation of the UK a person decision maker that can make health care decision if a patient becomes incompetent In conclusion it should be said that the question euthanasia has pros and contras advantages and disatvantages The legitimacy of euthanasia provides appropriate support and regulation as well as necessary safeguards for patients and doctors The right to choose is also an argument that releated to support of this legislative approach It is said by Supreme Court Justices that everything is based upon the autonomy of the individual Arguments against include the point of view that the doctor has the healers not killers role as described by the Hippocratic Oath The role of palliative care has also to be taken into consideration Basing on the concept of palliative care its role is to provide support and appropriate quality of life letting the natural processes to course There will be always contraversary opinions talking about euthanasia The most important thing is that every human has rights according to the International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights ICCPR Some of them can be engaged in the practice of euthanasia Right to life according to 6th Article Freedom from cruel ihnuman or degrading treatment according to 7th Article Right to respect for private life according to 17th Article Freedom of thought conscience and religion according to 18th Article


Write and Proofread Your Essay
With Noplag Writing Assistance App

Plagiarism Checker

Spell Checker

Virtual Writing Assistant

Grammar Checker

Citation Assistance

Smart Online Editor

Start Writing Now

Start Writing like a PRO

Start