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Name Vijendra Kumar (13112104)

What is euthanasia?
Euthanasia is derived from a Greek word in which Eu means Good, nice or merciful
Tathanos means death or killing. It is the act or practice of intentionally ending a life of
a person either by lethal injection or the suspension of medical treatment in order to
relieve them of their suffering.

Classification of euthanasia
Voluntary euthanasia it is committed with the willing and autonomous
cooperation of the patient. When this is done with the assistance of a physician, the
term assisted suicide is used.

Non-voluntary euthanasia euthanasia conducted when the patient is


unconscious or unable to make choice and an appropriate person takes decision on
their behalf.

Involuntary euthanasia when euthanasia conducted against the will of the


patient.This is usually called murder.

Active and passive euthanasia When the patients life ended with the use of
drugs, whether by oneself or with the aid of a physician is called active euthanasia.
Passive euthanasia occurs when the patient dies by withholding of common treatments
necessary for the continuance of life

Religious views of euthanasia


Religion and euthanasia
most religions disapprove of euthanasia and think that it is immoral. Some of them
absolutely forbid it and regard it as a type of murder. Religions are opposed of
euthanasia or a number of reasons

God gives people life, so only God has the right to take it away.
Therefore human lives should be protected and cared, whatever happens. No
one should interfere with Gods plan by ending human lives.
Christianity
Christians are mostly against euthanasia and believes that life is given by God and we
should not interfere with natural process of death.
The Roman Catholic Church does not allow both suicide and euthanasia

Buddhism
Most Buddhist are against involuntary euthanasia. Their position is less clear on
voluntary euthanasia because it demonstrates that ones mind is in a bad state and that
one has allowed physical sufferings to cause mental sufferings.

Hinduism
There are two type of Hindu views on euthanasia

By Prayopavesa ( a practice in Hinduism that denotes suicide by fasting) a


person can end his/her life, who has no ambition left, and no responsibilities left
in life and also allowed in case of terminal disease.
Hindus think that helping a person to end a life filled with suffering and pain is a
good deed.

Even though helping a person to end painful life may be good but it interferes
with the cycle of death and rebirth and this is a bad thing to do. The same
argument also suggest that keeping the person artificially alive on a life support
machine would also be bad thing to do.

Islam
In Islam all form of euthanasia are forbidden. Muslim believe that life is given by Allah
and Allah chooses how long each person will live. Humans shouldnt interfere in this.

Sikhism
Sikhs follow their scripture Guru Granth Sahib and the Sikh Code of Conduct. Most
Sikhs are against euthanasia as they believe that process of birth and death should be
left in Gods hand. The Sikh Gurus rejected suicide to not interfere in Gods plan.

In Japan more than half of all Shintoists think that you should be allowed to help a
person die if they ask for it.

Pros and Cons


Argument supporting euthanasia
Caregivers burden: euthanasia supporters argue that people who have an
irredeemable, progressive, disabling condition should allowed to die in dignity. Majority
of such petitions are filled by sufferers or family members or their caretakers. The
caregivers burden is very large and cuts across various domains such as economic,
responsive, physical, psychological and social.

Refusing care: patients right to refuse medical treatment is well recognized in law,
including those that sustain or prolongs life.

Right to die: according to Article 21 of Indian constitution a person has a right to live
with dignity and if that standard of life is falling below the minimum level then a person
should have a right to end his life.

Encouraging the organ transplantation: euthanasia also provides an opportunity of


organ donation of terminally ill patients who wants to end their life. This will help many
patients who needs organ transplantation.

Arguments against euthanasia


Hippocratic Oath: medical profession is guided by a desire to heal and extend life.
Doctors have a problem with euthanasia because they have sworn an oath to protect
their patient at their best ability and never do harm intentionally to patient.

Mala fide intentions: there is possibilities of misusing euthanasia by family members or


relatives to inheriting of the patients property.

Cost of health care: the cost of modern medicine promotes passive euthanasia, where
poor patients and their family members withdraw treatment because of too much cost
involved in keeping them alive.

Opponents also argue that legalization of euthanasia would lead society down to
slippery slope with legalized killing eventually being permitted for physically disabled,
elderly, and mentally depressed people.

Euthanasia devalues human life and religious believes.

It will lead to its misuse by doctors.

Legalization of euthanasia in India and different countries


India: Passive euthanasia is legal in India since 7 March 2011. This judgement was
passed by Supreme Court of India in a case involving Aruna Shanbaug, who had been
in a PVS (persistent vegetative state) at the KEM Hospital, Mumbai, until her death in
2005. This judgment was passed in wake of Pinki Viranis plea to the Supreme Court in
Dec. 2009 under the Constitutional provision of Next Friend.

The Supreme Court put two conditions to allow passive euthanasia law in 2011: (1) the
ventilator can be switched off for the brain-dead patients. (2) Those in a PVS for whom
the feed can be tapered out.

However on 25 February 2014, the judgement in Arunas case had been termed to be
inconsistent in itself by a three-judge bench of Supreme Court and referred this issue
to its five-judge bench.

On Dec. 23, 2014, Govt. of India re-validated the Passive euthanasia judgement law
and laid down comprehensive guidelines to process cases relating passive euthanasia.
Thereafter, the matter of euthanasia was examined in consultation with the Ministry of
Law and Justice and judgement of Supreme Court should be treated as law in such
cases.

In the absence of law regarding euthanasia, the Supreme Court stated that its decision
becomes the law until the Indian parliament enacts a suitable law. Active euthanasia is
still illegal in India.

Australia: Australia legalized euthanasia in 1996, by passing the Right of the


Terminally Ill Act but later in 1996 a subsequent legislation made it again illegal.

United States: euthanasia is illegal in US. In Oregon (American state) assisted


suicide has been legalized in 1994.

Canada: in Canada active euthanasia and assisted suicide is illegal but patients have
right to refuse life sustaining treatment.

Belgium: euthanasia is legal since 2002.

Switzerland: euthanasia is illegal but physician assisted suicide (PAS) is legal since
1918.

Colombia: PAS is illegal, Euthanasia approved by the constitutional court in 1997 but
never approved by Congress.

Germany: euthanasia is illegal but PAS is legal since 1751.

Italy: both euthanasia and PAS are illegal.


Japan: PAS is illegal, Euthanasia is illegal in Japanese criminal code but Nagoya
High Court Decision of 1962 ruled that one can legally end someones life if 6 specific
conditions are fulfilled.

Russia: both euthanasia and PAS are illegal.

England: according to the House of Lords a person has right to refuse life sustaining
treatment which is a part of his rights of autonomy. Non voluntary euthanasia is also
permitted in case of patient in a PVS state.

Aruna Shanbaug case


Aruna Shanbaug was a nurse at the KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai. On 27 November
1973 Shanbaug was sexually assaulted by Sohanlal Wlmiki, a ward boy. During the
attack she was strangled by a chain. The lack of oxygen put her in a vegetative state.
After 37 years of Arunas vegetative state, on 24 January 2011 the Supreme Court of
India responded to a plea for euthanasia filled by Pinki Virani, Arunas friend. The Court
rejected the plea on 7 march 2011 as the caretaker nurses did not support euthanizing
her. But this incident allowed passive euthanasia in India. After being in a PVS for
nearly 42 years, Aruna Shanbaug died on 18 may 2015 from pneumonia.

Conclusion
In a concluding note, I would like to say that right to have someones life ended at their
will is subject to social, ethical and legal strictures. The question that should euthanasia
be legalized is a subjective question not an objective, which depends more upon the
cases and circumstances. Medical science is progressing and hence currently we have
device that can extend life by artificial means. This may indirectly extend terminal
suffering and also very costly for the families of the patient. Therefore end-of-life issues
are becoming main ethical concerns.
If we carefully examine the most important point that the opponent raise is that
euthanasia law will lead to misuse by doctors. Therefore the consent to discontinue life
support of the patient should be must signed by patient and if the patient is not in the
state to give his/her consent, then in that case a decision has to be taken by patients
parents or spouse or close relatives in absence of family members. The person should
be in coma, or in a Permanent Vegetative State, or living with dead brain.

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