{"id":15532,"date":"2021-06-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-04T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/uncategorized\/04-06-2021\/mercy-killing\/"},"modified":"2021-06-04T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-06-04T00:00:00","slug":"mercy-killing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/04-06-2021\/mercy-killing","title":{"rendered":"Mercy Killing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong><u>In News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">After the mother applies for mercy killing, the child dies of a rare blood disease.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong><u>About<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">A nine-year-old boy died of a rare blood disease just within two hours after his mother had applied for his mercy killing in court.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Mercy Killing, also k<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">nown as Euthanasia\u00a0 is an act of providing painless death to a suffering individual who wouldn&#8217;t survive if medical facilities are removed from their help.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">A famous case, Aruna Shanbaug was heard in the Supreme Court (SC) and final judgement came in the year 2018 making the Right to die in a dignified way a part of Right to Life under Article 21.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">Only passive Euthenasia is allowed in India by the Supreme Court.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong><u>Euthanasia<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The term Euthanasia comes from two Ancient Greek words: \u2018Eu\u2019 means \u2018Good\u2019, and \u2018thantos\u2019 means \u2018death\u2019, so Euthanasia means good death.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">Euthanasia can be also divided into two types according to means of death.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Active Euthanasia<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">: It is also known as \u2018Positive Euthanasia\u2019 or \u2018Aggressive Euthanasia\u2019. It refers to causing intentional death of a human being by direct intervention. It is a direct action performed to end useless life and a meaningless existence.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">For example by giving lethal doses of a drug or by giving a lethal injection. Active euthanasia is usually a quicker means of causing death and all forms of active euthanasia are illegal.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Passive Euthanasia<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">:It is also known as \u2018Negative Euthanasia\u2019 or \u2018Non-Aggressive Euthanasia\u2019. It is intentionally causing death by not providing essential, necessary and ordinary care or food and water. It implies discontinuing, withdrawing or removing artificial life support systems. Passive euthanasia is usually slower and more uncomfortable than active. Most forms of voluntary, passive and some instance of non-voluntary, passive euthanasia are legal.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong><u>Aruna Shanbaug Case<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">Aruna Shanbaug was assaulted on November 27, 1973 which left her blind, paralysed and speechless and she went into a persistent vegetative state.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">On 16th December 2009, the Supreme Court of India accepted a plea to end her life. The Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice and Justices <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>agreed to examine the merits of the petition<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"> and sought responses from the Union Government, Commissioner of Mumbai Police and Dean of KEM Hospital.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">However, SC turned down the mercy killing petition and laid out guidelines for passive euthanasia.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">This case has changed forever India&#8217;s approach to the contentious issue of euthanasia. The verdict on her case allows passive euthanasia contingent upon circumstances.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong><u>Global Stands<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>England:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"> Euthanasia is illegal in the UK. Euthanasia is punishable by law and can carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Assisted suicide is also illegal in the UK<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Australia:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"> The Northern Territory of Australia became the first country to legalize euthanasia by passing the Rights of the Terminally ILL Act, 1996. Although it is a crime in most Australian states to assist euthanasia, prosecution have been rare.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Tasmania: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">In 2005, a nurse was convicted of assisting in the death of her mother and father who were both suffering from incurable illnesses. She was sentenced to two and half years in jail but the judge later suspended the conviction because he believed the community did not want the woman put behind bars. This sparked debate about decriminalization of euthanasia.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Albania: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">Euthanasia was legalized in Albania in 1999, it was stated that any form of voluntary euthanasia was legal under the rights of the Terminally ILL act of 1995. Passive euthanasia is considered legal if three or more family members consent to the decisions.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Belgium: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">Euthanasia was made legal 2002.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Netherlands: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">Netherlands is the first country in the world to legalise both euthanasia and assisted suicide in 2002.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Canada: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">In Canada, patients have the right to refuse life sustaining treatments (Passive Euthenasia) but they do not have the right to demand for Active euthanasia or assisted suicide.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>U.S.A: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">Euthanasia has been made totally illegal by the United States Supreme Court in the cases Washington v. Glucksberg and Vacco v. Quill. Only in Oregon, a state in America, physician assisted suicide has been legalized in 1994 under Death and Dignity Act. In April 2005, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>California State<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"> legislative committee approved a bill and has become 2nd state to legalise assisted suicide.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Swizerland: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">Here, euthanasia is illegal but physician assisted suicide has been made legal. However decriminalizing euthanasia was tried in 1997 but it recommended where a non- physician helper would have to be prosecuted whereas the physician would not.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong><u>Rights, Cases and other Legal Provisions in India<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Article 21<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"> includes the right to die or not first came into consideration in the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>case State of Maharashtra v. Maruti Shripati Dubal<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">. It was held in this case by the Bombay High Court that \u2018right to life\u2019 also includes \u2018right to die\u2019 and <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Section 309<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"> was struck down. The court clearly said in this case that the right to die is not unnatural; it is just uncommon and abnormal. Also the court mentioned many instances in which a person may want to end his life.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">This was upheld by the Supreme Court in the case <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>P. Rathinam v. Union of India<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">. However in the case <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Gian Kaur v. State of Punjab<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"> it was held by the five judge bench of the Supreme Court that the \u201cright to life\u201d guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution does not include the \u201cright to die\u201d. The court clearly mentioned in this case that Article 21 only guarantees right to life and personal liberty and in no case can the right to die be included in it. In India, like almost in other countries, euthanasia has no legal aspect.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">Every act of aiding and abetting the commission of suicide are punished under the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>section 306 of the I.P.C<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><em>Distinguishing euthanasia from suicide<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">, Justice Lodha in <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Naresh Maratra Sakhee vs Union of India<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">, observed that, \u201csuicide by its nature is an act of self-killing or self-destruction, an act of terminating one\u2019s own act and without the aid or assistance of any other human agency.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">\u201cMercy killing is nothing but homicide, whatever the circumstances in which it is affected. Unless it is specifically accepted it cannot be an offence. Indian Penal Code further punishes not only abetment of homicide, but also abetment of suicide\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong><u>Significance<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>End of Pain<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">: Euthanasia provides a way to relieve the intolerably extreme pain and suffering of an individual. It relieves the terminally ill people from a lingering death.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Respecting Person&#8217;s Choice:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"> The essence of human life is to live a dignified life and to force the person to live in an undignified way is against the person\u2019s choice. Thus, it expresses the choice of a person which is a fundamental principle.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Treatment for others:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"> In many developing and underdeveloped countries like India, there is a lack of funds. There is a shortage of hospital space. So, the energy of doctors and hospital beds can be used for those people whose life can be saved instead of continuing the life of those who want to die.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Dignified Death:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"> Article 21 of the Indian Constitution clearly provides for living with dignity. A person has a right to live a life with at least minimum dignity and if that standard is falling below that minimum level then a person should be given a right to end his life.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Addressing Mental Agony:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"> The motive behind this is to help rather than harm. It not only relieves the unbearable pain of a patient but also relieves the relatives of a patient from the mental agony.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong><u>Issues<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Medical Ethics:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"> Medical ethics call for nursing, caregiving and healing and not ending the life of the patient. In the present time, medical science is advancing at a great pace making even the most incurable diseases curable today. Thus instead of encouraging a patient to end his life, the medical practitioners have to encourage the patients to lead their painful life with strength.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Moral Wrong: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">Taking a life is morally and ethically wrong. The value of life can never be undermined.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Vulnerable will become more prone to it: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">Groups that represent disabled people are against the legalisation of euthanasia on the ground that such groups of vulnerable people would feel obliged to opt for euthanasia as they may see themselves as a burden to society.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Suicide v\/s Euthenasia:\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">When suicide is not allowed then euthanasia should also not be allowed. A person commits suicide when he goes into a state of depression and has no hope from the life. Similar is the situation when a person asks for euthanasia. But such a tendency can be lessened by proper care of such patients and showing hope in them.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>X-Factor: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">Miracles do happen in our society especially when it is a matter of life and death, there are examples of patients coming out of coma after years and we should not forget human life is all about hope.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong><u>Way Forward<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Achieving peace with God and pain control are nearly identical in importance for patients and bereaved family members.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The futile treatment that doesn&#8217;t have any reasonable chance of doing good &#8211; other than keeping the patient from dying could be stopped to lessen the agony of the family.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">At the same time, allowing voluntary euthanasia makes it easier to commit murder, since the perpetrators can disguise it as active voluntary euthanasia. That must be avoided.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">We should look at the brighter side of it than thinking of it being abused.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><strong>Sources<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\">: <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/india-news\/after-mother-applies-for-mercy-killing-child-dies-of-rare-blood-disease-101622603798388.html\" style=\"text-decoration:none\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#1155cc\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff\"><u>HT<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In News After the mother applies for mercy killing, the child dies of a rare blood disease. About A nine-year-old boy died of a rare blood disease just within two hours after his mother had applied for his mercy killing in court.\u00a0 Mercy Killing, also known as Euthanasia\u00a0 is an act of providing painless death [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15533,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[76,115],"class_list":["post-15532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs","tag-gs","tag-gs4"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2023\/07\/7447040HOD current-affairs.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15532"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15532\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}