Benefits of Euthanasia: Enhancing Patient Control and Dignity

Running head: EUTHANASIA 1
Euthanasia
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EUTHANASIA 2
Introduction
Euthanasia refers to the act of deliberately terminating one’s life with the aim of reducing
patient suffering. Euthanasia has stirred a lot of debate in recent years with some supporting it
and other terming it as illegal. One of the most critical concerns of the people who do not support
the legalisation of euthanasia is that it results in devaluing human lives, and hence they believe
that such acts are against the Hippocratic oaths they took. Secondly, another concern is that the
death of patients may result in massive profit for insurance companies and hence they might use
euthanasia to cut down their costs by ensuring that the patient dies earlier. Thirdly, the majority
of the religions consider euthanasia as a sin as they believe that God is the provider of life and
that He is the only one with the right of taking life. Fourthly, the majority of the social welfare
activists believe that most of the patients may make decisions that may affect them since most of
them do not have enough health literacy. Lastly, another concern is that the corrupted and
unethical healthcare practices might become a norm when the health care professions would
emotionally excite the patients by stating the benefits of the death of such patients and utilising
the resources for other needy patients. The issue in the case of euthanasia is whether it should be
legalised to end the suffering of the terminally ill adults in Canada. Ethical judgment is
applicable in the case of euthanasia as it can be used to assess whether the use of euthanasia is
morally wrong or right. Although the majority of the social and political welfare parties in
Canada have opposed the legalisation of euthanasia, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, and
as a result, there is great need to support euthanasia in Canada.

EUTHANASIA 3
Benefits of Euthanasia
Euthanasia has several benefits for the patients which include the fact that health care
professionals are required to handle patients while respecting their wishes and demands as well
as understanding their perspectives (Ball, Sibbald & Truog, 2018). This means that their
decisions are highly regarded and that the healthcare personnel cannot go against their will. This
also means that a patient has a choice and control over their own life. Secondly, Patients with
terminally illnesses go through a lot of pain and suffering which makes them dependent that is
they cannot perform day to day activities by themselves. Euthanasia helps such patients end
their suffering as well as that of their families (Euthanasia, 2018). The fact that when a patient is
terminally ill, he or she depends on medical staff and family for routine activities such as
bathing, eating and changing clothes can be very degrading for a patient. Therefore, euthanasia
helps them have full control of their lives including when and how they die and hence giving
them a chance to do or say what they want to, to their families (Euthanasia, 2018). Lastly,
euthanasia helps in enhancing the protection of the dignity of the patients by allowing them to
make their own decisions that affect their health. This means that no patient can be coerced to
undertake euthanasia and hence protecting their lives (Euthanasia, 2018).
Euthanasia helps in ensuring better allocation of funds rather to sustain terminally ill
patients. Terminally ill patients consume a lot of the healthcare resources, and medical funds,
legalization of euthanasia will aid in ensuring that the amount of funds and equipment used is
reduced (Mishara & Weisstub, 2015). While this is not the best way to look at it, it is an added
advantage of euthanasia. Secondly, the terminally ill patients spend a lot of time in hospitals
using the healthcare resources that may be channelled to research work, surgeries, and
management of chronic illnesses and in acute care treatments to improve the quality of life