Euthanasia

The current buzz in the medico sphere has been about mercy-killing, euthanasia. There were several reports and articles in the papers recently about this controversial topic.

To me, being able to legalize euthanasia would mean reaching a pinnacle in human civilization. Most doctors are against legalizing it, especially those specializing in end-of-life care like palliative medicine and rehab medicine. The avenue for abuse is also present.

I am NOT an advocate for euthanasia but the notion seems too good to not implement it.

To me, it's all about the quality of life of a patient and not about the length. However, the choice to live or die definitely has to be made by the patient and should not be by the medical carer/relatives. Caveats such as a comatose patient would have to be explored carefully by all parties involved. The concept of "quality of life" would also have to be in the patient's perspective too. Being a young quadriplegic might be acceptable to some but not to athletes. Having a terminal illness could be alright for some and not to others.

Empowering patients with choices for euthanasia and the chance to make informed decisions will become necessary in the near future in my opinion. It sometimes seem ridiculous how the medical staff want to involve patients in treatment decisions and management choices yet not allow them to choose if they would want to end their life. Lots of policies, rules and laws have to be set before we rush into legalizing euthanasia, but i know that it would be the next step we all have to take.

That said, most of the time i feel we should try to live life to the fullest. Being able to see your loved ones, being able to experience the next sunrise even if you have a terminal illness are little joys we all should not give up. But this is from the perspective of a person who is still fit for now........