The bill allows terminally ill adults over age 18, who are deemed to have less than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death.
- A patient choosing to die would need to be of competent mind.
What is Assisted Dying?
- Assisted dying refers to situation when a terminally ill patient receives lethal drugs from medical practitioner and self-administers them to end their own life.
- On the other hand, in Euthanasia, physician deliberately administers lethal drugs to end patient's life, potentially to relieve suffering, even if not terminally ill.
Key Ethical Dilemma associated with the Assisted Dying
- Respect for patient’s dignity vs. Sanctity of Life:
- Assisted Dying recognizes the patient's right to make end-of-life decisions. (JS mill’s reflective autonomy ( deliberative and thoughtful choices)
- On the other hand, religious leaders believe that life is given by God, and only God should decide when to end it.
- Medical Ethics Conflict: Assisted dying contradicts the medical duty to preserve life, creating a moral dilemma for physicians to save lives.
- Hippocratic Oath guides doctors to do their best in their job and not use their skill or knowledge to harm or kill their patients.
- Risk of misuse: Danger of vested interests (e.g., organ transplantation considerations), etc.
- Undermining True Voluntariness: People with disabilities who felt like a burden would feel socio-economic pressure to end their lives.
