Euthanasia is one of the perplexing issues which the legislature is facing all over the world.
Euthanasia means mercy killing that is a painless termination of one’s life with
humane motive of ending the suffering. If a person is suffering from an incurable
disease then it will be fair to give a peaceful death. Euthanasia is of two types: Active
Euthanasia and Passive Euthanasia. Passive euthanasia means withdrawal of
medical treatment which hasten a terminally ill patient’s death and active euthanasia
means to kill a person with lethal injections given to a person with terminally cancer.
Legalizing euthanasia that is an aid-in- dying will really prove be a good initiatives for
those who are going through the worst phase of their lives because of the pain that we
can’t even think of. And it should be a patient’s right if he/she wants to bear that pain
and live as it was going or want to end their lives.
From the other point of view it can be a positive thing to the next generation as doctors can
find out the remedy to cure that disease and preventing from spreading of that diseases.
And yes everybody does not have the capability to pay the health care cost and somewhere
this all leads the patient to feel more disheartened and most importantly a burden on their
families.
Making a person artificially alive against the will of the person is considered unethical by law
and yes by the medical philosophy too.
CASE: ARUNA RAMCHANDRA SHANBAUG V. UNION OF INDIA (2009) , On 27 th
November 1973 Aruna , the nurse working in a hospital in Mumbai was attacked by
sweeper who wrapped a dog chain around her neck and yanked her back with it and
in that span of time her condition got worst that she is a virtually dead person and
have no state of awareness. This is not the only case who had demanded for
euthanasia. In the cases like Jeet Narayan [2008] who pleaded death for their four
sons who are paralyzed below the neck and Dilip Macua[2008] who was paralyzed
due to an accident and her letter for mercy death got rejected. Is it there any point to
make a person live in the vegetative form like that?
In the countries like Netherlands who has legalized euthanasia on the conditions that
patients suffering with unbearable pain and incurable disease could be helped by it .
Children euthanasia’s law was passed in Belgium in 2002 and till today’s date no
other country has been given clearance to this law.
Euthanasia will be held legal only when:-
The person has made an active and voluntary request to end their life.
It is thought that they have sufficient mental capacity to make an informed
decision regarding their care.
there is no prospect for an improvement in their condition.
In my opinion, India should also legalize euthanasia by taking care of some points like
providing a proper medical team that can examine a person’s state of mind and their
condition , which leads them to end their lives and later they assume it and check if
is there really a need to practice euthanasia in that situation?
