Question

Do you think that legalizing euthanasia could create conflicts of interest for the patient/ or the doctor? & If you were the physician, what would you do?

Answer 1

Euthanasia also known as mercy killing is allowing a critically ill patient to end his life medically

It is a process of providing painless death to terminally ill patients either actively by giving life ending medications or by removing life support or discontinuing ongoing treatment.

It is a very sensitive topic .Yes, there is a high chance that it would create conflict of interest for both the patient and the doctor. This is because of the cultural differences , opinions and beliefs regarding life and death. There are many cultures around the world which believe life can only be taken and given by God. Taking away life is considered to be a sin .

Euthanasia should depend on condition of the patient primarily and his will for living or to die. There  are certain conditions in which choosing to live causes much more pain and suffering that the person rather chooses to end his life.

As a physician, I would think of euthanasia as a personal choice of treatment to which a person is absolutely entitled to. But the decision should be depending upon various factors like condition of the patient, suffering he has to go through if he chooses to live , his chances of recovery , the possible longevity of his life. He should make an educated decision afternoon going all this. There are some conditions in which the patient will not be able to make a decision for themselves for example or, does patient on life support. It is conditions like these that makes taking a decision very complicated issue It is generally taken by the family members or spouse.

There Can be no specific guidelines or single opinion to this topic as every case is unique. But at the end, person should be able to make a decision to choose a way with less suffering .

Hope this information helps you!

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