Assisted suicide

Assisted suicide has raised numerous debates and contentions in the healthcare field

due to differing opinions and backgrounds. The proponents of assisted suicide argue that

individuals have the right to die and could arrange with their physicians to terminate their

lives if they find the pain and torture of their diseases unbearable. Such patients show the

acceptance of their fatal condition and the readiness to die to avoid excessive suffering.

However, the practice of physician-assisted suicide has raised numerous contentions

regarding its ethical nature (Peled, Bickel, & Puchalski, 2017). This text compares and

contrasts these opposing viewpoints and analyzes the strengths of such arguments. The study

argues that assisted suicide has many useful purposes than the harm inflicted.

Assisted suicide is opposed because it could lead to premature termination of life

upon the request of the patient or other significant stakeholders in their life circles. However,

euthanasia could benefit the patients that face the inevitability of death and the advent of

excessive suffering. This approach would help to save the patients from the excruciating pain

and psychological torture that they would have to endure before dying. In some cases,

euthanasia could help chronically ill patients with permanent severe damages to the brain that

affects their mental and motor skills. Such individuals could survive for a long duration under

constant medical care. However, the efforts for treatment would be futile since such

individuals have close to no chances of recovery and cannot recognize the elements or

individuals in their environment (Peled, Bickel, & Puchalski, 2017). This aspect would lead

to elevated healthcare costs for the family or carers of such individuals. Assisted suicide

would be beneficial in such instances because it would help to end the suffering of the

patients and financial strain on the family.

Reference

Peled, H., Bickel, K. E., & Puchalski, C. (2017). Enhancing informed consent for physician

aid in dying: Potential role of handout on possible benefits of palliative care. Journal

of oncology practice, 13(10), e838-e843.