ALL ABOUT EUTHANASIA : RIGHT TO DIE WITH DIGNITY

 

What is EUTHANASIA ??

• Basically its a Greek word meaning "GOOD DEATH".
• There are various ways to give Euthanasia i.e., Active, Passive Voluntary, Involuntary, Physician assisted. This Word which are the ways of giving euthanasia itself descript how it should be.
• Here, we will try to discuss some arguments of against and support of Euthanasia so that we will able to evaluate it properly.

Arguments against Euthanasia :

LEGAL STATUS : 

In India particularly there is one case, in which the constitutional bench of the supreme court in 1996 gave a judgment regarding IPC section 306 (Abetment to suicide) and IPC section 309 (attempt to suicide). It clearly stated that the Right to Life (art.21) doesn't include Right to die. Hence abetment to suicide and attempt to suicide are both criminal offence. There is nowhere a provision of Right to die in our Constitution.

PALLIATIVE CARE : 

This sort of care would provide relief from distressing symptoms and pain, and support to the patient as well as the care giver. It is an active, compassionate and creative care for the dying which includes various aspects like spiritual, home care , happiness,etc. But the worse part is that less than 1% of India's 1.2 billion population has access to palliative care.

UNAWARENESS OF ALTERNATIVES : 

This has been seen in various cases where the health professional lacks that ability to cure the disease and they said that its not in our hand to save the life. So if Euthanasia will legalized then you know it proposed an alternative to health professional to give sentence of death. As being a health professional, there are expected to provide care not Cure which they'll actually serve as death.

COMMERCIALISATION OF HEALTH CARE:

Passive euthanasia occurs in majority of the hospitals across the county, where poor patients and their family members refuse or withdraw treatment because of the huge cost involved in keeping them alive. If euthanasia is legalised, then commercial health sector will serve death sentence to many disabled and elderly citizens of India for meagre amount of money.

SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL ILLNESS : 

Research has revealed that many terminally ill patients requesting euthanasia, have major depression, and that the desire for death in terminal patients is correlated with the depression. In Indian setting also, strong desire for death was reported by 3 of the 191 advanced cancer patients. This clearly means that rather than going for euthanasia, they need palliative care and rehabilitative care. Only they need some compassionate health professionals who'll inculcate hope of living in them.

Counter argument of supporting Euthanasia:

RELAXATION OF BURDEN : 

People who have incurable, degenerating, disabling condition should have right to die with dignity, because behind that ill person there are many caregivers (family members) who were suffering from financial, emotional, time, resources costs. Its the very personal choice in active euthanasia where terminally ill patients would get a chance to speak of  their pains and suffering behind the disease. 

RIGHT TO DIE: 

Many patients in a persistent vegetative state or else in chronic illness, do not want to be a burden on their family members. Euthanasia can be considered as a way to upheld the ‘Right to life’ by honouring ‘Right to die’ with dignity.

LESS EXPENDITURE ON HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE : 

They said that it's the right of life where you cannot include right to die. So if this is the case, then why don't they ensure whether right to life is getting fulfilled or not. They don't take the responsibility of socioeconomic rights viz, right to food, right to sanitation, right to education, right to health care. Which are the basic aspects of Right to Life in true sence. Till date, most of the States has not done anything to support the terminally ill people by providing for hospice care.

Way forward ⏩ :

• This topic is very serious to talk as it involves life and death matter. Till date no one in the world has the Formula to produce human beings so need to take decisions by deliberate conversation and also by considering the other aspects of Euthanasia.

• As, being a jain, we practice a process called "SANTHARA" or "SALLEKHANA"  where the person who is terminally ill can voluntarily abandon food, water  which has its own significance. But here, point to note is that we dont considered it as suicide as it doesnt involve any employ of poison. 

• We can also encourage organ donation culture where terminally ill patients who are suffering tremendously will get their 'Right to die with dignity" and other person who lacks certain organ would get their "Right to Life".

• Abviously there should be legitimate legeslation on euthanasia by including strict protocols of Organ donation so that smuggling must stops and also deleberate discussion on active and passive forms of it. 

• There is also an urgent need to invest in our health care infrastructure, so that poor people suffering from ill health can access free health care. Right now, GOI spends only 1.8% of GDP in health system annually and in this also (.3%) has increased because of the corona pandemic. Investment in health care is not a charity, its the Right to Health’ which is bestowed under ‘Right to Life’ of our constitution.

Thanks for Reading 🙂 , and yes plz share your remarks & views regarding legalizing euthanasia in the below comment box .