Should Doctors Do Everything Possible To Prolong Life?

When considering the genre of medical science and the work of doctors, we typically imagine these areas in regard to making revolutionary discoveries and saving lives. Is this realistic or a rose-tinted view? History shows medicine and doctors can ‘go bad’ spectacularly. Some medical controversies were accidents, but many have resulted from deliberate actions. Sometimes doctors believed the greater good, as they saw it, was more important than ethical behavior. Many of these incidents were not problematic at the time, and only became controversial when society’s values and opinions changed. For example, consider that the Hippocratic Oath was introduced in ancient Greece as a guide for new doctors on how to behave in their work. The oath was incorporated into Islamic medical practice. However, in Europe it was forgotten after the fall of the ancient Greek civilization. It was ‘rediscovered’ after the Second World War and the discovery of human experiments on concentration camp prisoners by Nazi doctors. The oath was re-established as ethical behavior guidelines for medical practitioners (www.sciencemuseum.org). …show more content…
When should medical professionals allow patients to die? When asked about end-of-life decisions for other people, two-thirds of Americans (66%) say there are at least some situations in which a patient should be allowed to die, while nearly a third (31%) say that medical professionals always should do everything possible to save a patient’s life (www.pewforum.org). Then there is the high cost of insurance and all of its limitations, and justifications for treatment that possibly become part of the equation when medical professionals are making decisions about life and death for patients. Ethical principles are fine in theory, but putting them into practice is more difficult. Every situation is different, and ethical issues in medicine are generally approached on a case-by-case