Can Euthanasia Ever be Justified?

Euthanasia is considered by many to be the best-worst solution.  In other terms, we can define it as mercy-killing.  Euthanasia has not been legalised till today because it is a controversial topic upon which many debates between politicians and religious followers have been conducted but no final outcome has resulted yet since both parties have equally good reasons of whether mercy-killing was justified or not.  Can euthanasia, in fact, ever be justified?

Image via Wikipedia

There are two methods of administering euthanasia to a critical patient.  The first consists of giving Barbiturate to the person whereby the latter will die after a few hours or days.  The other is a mixture of Barbiturate and poison which causes violent death to the patient.  Euthanasia is indeed an act of mercy, of pity for those persons whose sufferings are endless and unbearable.  In this way, the person does not see himself losing all his faculties and at the same time, this act spares pain and emotional suffering for the loved ones.  For example, a man suffering from AIDS and who is in intolerable condition would want to practice euthanasia.  In a  sense, he would thus be liberated from undergoing any further atrocities like tuberculosis, high fever and would not spend years in suffering only to die at the end.  Moreover, euthanasia is also justified in terms of productivity.

Truly speaking, it is not practical to keep a person actually brain-dead ‘alive’.  Most of the time, the patient will be in the ICU, in coma.  This is a real waste of money which could be channelled elsewhere; to help the poor, for instance.

Image via Wikipedia

Furthermore, euthanasia is valid if the patient himself wants to end his life.  He should be given the freedom of choice for it is his right.  Even if the doctors or the government refuse to administer Barbiturate to him, he may resort to suicide anytime and this will cause many fingers to rise against both the hospital and the government.  So, it is better to accept his unbearable sufferings and kill the patient mercifully. 

On the other hand, taking into consideration the religious point of view, it is only God who has the right to take the life of an individual.  Doctors are merely mortals and can make mistakes as well.  Due to euthanasia, the value of life is diminishing and it is also considered by the followers to be a cheap and despicable act.  They think that it is cowardly to run away from the hardships of life.

Euthanasia is not justified because there can be a decrease in medical research because of its practice.  Even if cures are around the corner, scientists can be discouraged to continue their research if there is an increase in euthanasia.

Also, euthanasia, being an irreversible process, is not justified since the relatives of the patient could be tormented by remorse and guilt throughout their lives. 

In brief, I would say that euthanasia is an issue whose justification depends on the individual.  In my opinion, euthanasia is valid only in cases of acute sufferings and certain death.  Appropriate legal measures should be carefully taken for this practice to be carried out properly.