A patient named Margaret approached Anneke Quinta, an employee at Kingston Hospital in New York. Margaret has previously gone through a series of surgical operations and expected to endure much more. Faced with a terminal illness, Margaret did not expect to live for much longer. Margaret contacted Anneke Quinta with the request that she would help her die. Hoping to avoid the pain of extended suffering, Margaret assessed her situation and concluded that she wanted to end her life on her own terms (Quinta 12). All lives hold equal and undeniable worth. In the past, the sacredness of life held extreme value. In today’s world, the theme of protecting life slowly dwindled away. Physician-assisted suicide, a recent hotly debated topic, brings
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Legalizing physician-assisted suicide could prove detrimental to the healthcare industry including doctors, nurses, and patients all over the world. Physician-assisted suicide presents an option to those who do not wish to endure months of suffering and extreme pain. Assisted-suicide provides comfort in knowing that he has control of his own fate. Knowing how and when they will die gives comfort and security (Smith 86). With the option of passing on, a patient receives assurance that his family will not have to watch him suffer. He will be able to pass on peacefully knowing that his family will not have to agonize along with him. People welcome the idea of choosing his own fate and controlling his destiny. Patients who request assisted suicide must meet a certain set of requirements in order to receive assistance. Only a mentally capable adult who is within his last six months of living qualify. The patient must have made a request to end his life multiple times and another physician must examine the patient and confirm the diagnosis (Quinta 12). The patient must make this decision on his own, and cannot be persuaded by someone else. A patient must receive options for alternative treatments, and given time to consider all of his possible options available to him. The requirements put in place ensure that only those who truly feel suffering and pain have the option of assisted
Legalizing physician-assisted suicide could prove detrimental to the healthcare industry including doctors, nurses, and patients all over the world. Physician-assisted suicide presents an option to those who do not wish to endure months of suffering and extreme pain. Assisted-suicide provides comfort in knowing that he has control of his own fate. Knowing how and when they will die gives comfort and security (Smith 86). With the option of passing on, a patient receives assurance that his family will not have to watch him suffer. He will be able to pass on peacefully knowing that his family will not have to agonize along with him. People welcome the idea of choosing his own fate and controlling his destiny. Patients who request assisted suicide must meet a certain set of requirements in order to receive assistance. Only a mentally capable adult who is within his last six months of living qualify. The patient must have made a request to end his life multiple times and another physician must examine the patient and confirm the diagnosis (Quinta 12). The patient must make this decision on his own, and cannot be persuaded by someone else. A patient must receive options for alternative treatments, and given time to consider all of his possible options available to him. The requirements put in place ensure that only those who truly feel suffering and pain have the option of assisted