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Euthanasia: A Dignified Choice?

Writer's picture: Ishrat KashafiIshrat Kashafi

Updated: Jan 4

Syllabus: GS 2 Governance & GS-4: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

Recent Context

  • Britain’s House of Commons has voted to legalize Euthanasia (assisted dying) in England and Wales, offering terminally ill patients a compassionate choice to end their suffering and dependence.

 

What is Euthanasia?

  • Euthanasia, also known as mercy killing, involves intentionally ending a person’s life to relieve unbearable suffering, usually in cases of severe or terminal illness.

 

Types of Euthanasia

The types of euthanasia provide a framework for understanding the ethical, legal, and procedural implications in various contexts.

1.Depending on Method

  • Active euthanasia: Directly causes a patient's death through particular activities, such as providing a deadly injection. It is prohibited in several countries, including India. Active euthanasia is considered a criminal offense in India.

  • Passive euthanasia: It involves withdrawing life-sustaining therapies (e.g., turning off a ventilator or halting medicine) and allowing the patient to die naturally. Legal in various nations, subject to rigorous guidelines.

2.Depending on Consent

  • Voluntary euthanasia: The patient expressly requests or consents to end their life to relieve suffering. For example, a terminally sick patient may sign a legal document demanding euthanasia.

  • Non-voluntary euthanasia: When the patient is unable to give consent (for example, due to a coma or serious brain injury), family members or medical experts make the decision on their behalf. Requires rigorous ethical and legal considerations.

  • Involuntary euthanasia:Done without the patient's will or without their knowledge. Generally regarded as unethical and illegal in most nations.

 

Legality Across World 

  • A number of nations, including the Netherlands (the first country to legalize voluntary euthanasia), Belgium, Luxembourg, and Spain, have legalized euthanasia.

  • Canada allows both assisted suicide and euthanasia, but Switzerland only allows assisted suicide.

  • States in the US that allow assisted suicide under stringent guidelines include California, Washington, and Oregon. 

  • Euthanasia has also been approved in Colombia.

 

Legality in India

  • P. Rathinam v. Union of India (1994): This lawsuit challenged Section 309 of the IPC (attempt to suicide) and raised debate on the right to die.

  • Smt. Gian Kaur v. State of Punjab (1996): The Supreme Court concluded that the Right to life under Article 21 does not encompass the Right to Die, discriminating between dying with dignity and suicide.

  • Aruna Shanbaug Case (2011): The Court allowed passive Euthanasia in specified instances, distinguishing it from active euthanasia.

  • Common Cause vs. Union of India (2018): In the Common Cause vs Union of India (2018) case, the Supreme Court recognized the right to die with dignity as a fundamental right under Article 21. It allowed terminally ill individuals to opt for passive euthanasia through a "living will," enabling them to decline medical care and avoid life support in the event of an incurable coma or terminal condition.

 

Arguments For Euthanasia

  • Respects Patient’s Freedom of Choice: Euthanasia respects patients' autonomy by allowing them to choose their own life and death. People have the right to decide their own fate, including the option to terminate their suffering if they are terminally sick or in excruciating pain. It guarantees personal freedom and dignity in determining how one wants to live or die.

  • Right to Die with Dignity: Euthanasia is considered a crucial component of the right to die with dignity. It allows patients suffering from terminal conditions to avoid extended suffering and loss of physiological functions.

  • Humane Way to End Suffering: Euthanasia is a humane means of ending a patient's bodily and mental suffering in situations of terminal illness or incapacitating conditions. It adheres to the fundamental medical ethics precept of minimizing suffering by averting chronic misery.

  • Reduces Grief for Loved Ones: Prolonged illness and suffering may take an emotional toll not just on the patient but on their family and friends as well. When applied properly, euthanasia can lessen this burden.

 

Arguments Against Euthanasia

  • Difficult to Regulate, Opening Doors to Misuse: One of the primary issues concerning euthanasia is the difficulty in formulating and enforcing effective rules. There is a danger that, once authorized, euthanasia could be misused,the problem of ensuring strict control to prevent such abuses is viewed as a significant barrier, perhaps leading to abuse. Vulnerable people, such as the elderly, crippled, or mentally ill, may be persuaded into taking their lives early.

  • Morally and religiously unacceptable: Many religious traditions and moral systems believe life is sacrosanct and only a higher force has the authority to end it. Euthanasia is viewed as interfering with divine will or violating natural order. Euthanasia is frequently viewed as an immoral act that undermines the sanctity of life in societies where religious beliefs are strongly held.

  • Guilt and Emotional Pressure: In societies where euthanasia is common, patients may feel obligated to choose it to "help" others; mental health issues like depression can exacerbate these feelings, impairing their ability to make an informed decision; and, to prevent this, safeguards like counseling and strict oversight are required to ensure euthanasia decisions are made without emotional pressure. Euthanasia can cause patients to feel guilty, pressuring them to agree even if it's not what they truly want.

 

Way forward

  • Create robust legal frameworks: To legalize euthanasia, strict regulations and measures must be in place to guard against abuse. Eligibility requirements, consent procedures, and monitoring systems must all be outlined in precise and thorough guidelines.

  • Encourage Palliative Care: By bolstering the infrastructure for palliative care and making it available to everyone, terminally ill patients will have more options for coping with their pain and suffering, which will lower the need for euthanasia.

  • Ethical Counseling and Oversight: Requests for euthanasia should be supervised by impartial ethical committees to guarantee that choices are made voluntarily and without pressure. Patients and their relatives should also receive counseling.

  • Cultural sensitivity and inclusivity: Policies pertaining to euthanasia must respect individual rights while also honoring community norms, given the diversity of cultural and religious views. It is imperative that medical, legal, and community parties work together.

Euthanasia is a sensitive and significant issue that strikes a balance between social and ethical concerns and compassion.For euthanasia to be a humane solution without undermining personal dignity and society ethics, a complex, inclusive, and well-regulated framework is necessary.

 

UPSC Mains Model Question

Q. Euthanasia involves a complex interplay of ethical, legal, and societal considerations, particularly in the context of ensuring personal dignity and mitigating misuse." Discuss the various dimensions of euthanasia, including its types, legal status, and arguments for and against it. Suggest measures to address the challenges surrounding its implementation in India. (Word limit: 250)

 


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2 commentaires


Such a meaningful post, thank you for shedding light on this topic.

J'aime

Really helpful from exam point of view,

J'aime
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