Based on a recent study, “57% of physicians practicing today have received a request for physician-assisted suicide in some form or another” (Back et al). The heated debate has been on whether patients possess the right to die via physician-assisted suicide (PAS). This assisted suicide is for the terminally ill who do not wish to continue their suffering due to their fatal conditions. The debate has very different points of view. One is that suicide should never be the answer despite health conditions due to medical ethics. On the other side, it is believed that people deserve the right to decide at what point and under what conditions they are ready to end their own lives. PAS should be legalized because patients have the right and should
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While the medical community does try to save and prolong the patient 's life, when is enough, enough? The article “Should Doctors be Allowed” points out that death is also a part of medical treatment. Death is inevitable and health care professional denying PAS are letting their patients continue suffering and harm, which is not in any way helping them. “Emphasizing the importance of the principle of autonomy, quality of life is a very personal opinion. By preventing clients from taking their life, healthcare providers are being paternalistic and imposing their views onto their patients” (de Vocht et al). Medical ethics lie on the base of consent of the patient, as well as discretion, judgment, and experience of the medical physician. Healthcare professionals should be able to make the judgment call to respect the patient 's wishes and put their best interest forward. “Should Doctors be Allowed” concludes that helping them to achieve a calm and peaceful end should be thought of as one of the best treatments for terminally ill patients. Overall, the patient’s wishes should be first and PAS should be legalized because this topic is a highly personal and situational decision, thus should not be deemed as unethical or illegal under …show more content…
PAS gives physicians the opportunity of advantages to dying patients. Legalizing PAS will improve the patient’s environment, as well as giving them the chance to die with dignity and peace. Patients deserve right and should be given the power of what happens to their bodies, after enduring suffering brought upon them from health conditions when nothing else can be done to improve them. Neither legislation nor the medical community should be given the power to decide over a patient 's life when the treatment options no longer exist. This is a very sensitive subject due to the extent of how personal the decision is, thus should not be ruled under legislative
While the medical community does try to save and prolong the patient 's life, when is enough, enough? The article “Should Doctors be Allowed” points out that death is also a part of medical treatment. Death is inevitable and health care professional denying PAS are letting their patients continue suffering and harm, which is not in any way helping them. “Emphasizing the importance of the principle of autonomy, quality of life is a very personal opinion. By preventing clients from taking their life, healthcare providers are being paternalistic and imposing their views onto their patients” (de Vocht et al). Medical ethics lie on the base of consent of the patient, as well as discretion, judgment, and experience of the medical physician. Healthcare professionals should be able to make the judgment call to respect the patient 's wishes and put their best interest forward. “Should Doctors be Allowed” concludes that helping them to achieve a calm and peaceful end should be thought of as one of the best treatments for terminally ill patients. Overall, the patient’s wishes should be first and PAS should be legalized because this topic is a highly personal and situational decision, thus should not be deemed as unethical or illegal under …show more content…
PAS gives physicians the opportunity of advantages to dying patients. Legalizing PAS will improve the patient’s environment, as well as giving them the chance to die with dignity and peace. Patients deserve right and should be given the power of what happens to their bodies, after enduring suffering brought upon them from health conditions when nothing else can be done to improve them. Neither legislation nor the medical community should be given the power to decide over a patient 's life when the treatment options no longer exist. This is a very sensitive subject due to the extent of how personal the decision is, thus should not be ruled under legislative