pptx

1. EUTHANASIA:
TYPES, PROS,AND
CONS
AN OVERVIEW OF ETHICAL AND MEDICAL
ASPECTS
By: Dr. Sadia Saleem

2. WHAT IS EUTHANASIA?
• Euthanasia comes from the Greek words: Eu (good)
and Thanatosis (death) and it means "Good Death”.
This word has come to be used for "mercy killing”.

3. • It refers to the act or practice of ending a life of a
person in a manner which relieves pain and
suffering. It is either by a lethal injection or
suspension of medical treatment

4. • The word "euthanasia" was first used in a medical
context by Francis Bacon in the 17th century, to
refer to an easy, painless, happy death, during
which it was a "physician's responsibility to alleviate
the 'physical sufferings' of the body.”

5. TYPES OF EUTHANASIA
• Voluntary Euthanasia: Requested by the patient.
• Non-Voluntary Euthanasia: Patient cannot consent.
• Involuntary Euthanasia:Without the patient's consent.
• Active Euthanasia: Direct action to cause death.
• Passive Euthanasia:Withholding life-sustaining treatment.
• Assisted Suicide: Patient administers lethal substance with
medical guidance.

6. VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA
 It is conducted with the consent of the patient.
 For example, when the patient brings about his or
her own death with the assistance of a physician,
the term ”assisted suicide” is often used instead.

7. NON-VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA
 It is conducted where the consent of the patient is
unavailable.
 It occurs when the patient is unconscious or unable to make
a meaningful choice between living and dying, and an
appropriate person takes that decision for him/her.
 This is usually called murder, but it is possible to imagine
cases where the killing would count as a favor for the patient.
 For example, child euthanasia that is applied to children who
are gravely ill or suffer from significant birth defects.

8. INVOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA
• It is conducted against the will of the
patient.

9. ASSISTED SUICIDE
 This usually refers to cases where the persons who
are going to die need help to kill themselves and
ask for it.
 It may be something as simple as getting drugs for
the person, and putting those drugs within their
reach.

10. INDIRECT EUTHANASIA
 This means providing treatments, mainly to reduce
pain that has a side effect of shortening the
patient’s life.
 Since the primary intent wasn’t to kill, it is morally
accepted by some people.

11. HISTORY
 It is believed that euthanasia started in ancient
Greece and Rome around the fifth century B.C.
 Some did this by abortions, and every now and
then, performed a mercy killing even though
doctors were supposed to follow the Hippocratic
Oath: “I will give no deadly medicine to any one if
asked, nor suggest any such counsel”.

12. PROS OF EUTHANASIA
• Relief from suffering in terminal illnesses.
• Respects personal autonomy and choice.
• Ensures a dignified and peaceful death.
• Reduces healthcare costs for long-term treatments.
• Frees up medical resources for treatable patients.

13.  In Europe, Euthanasia is only legal in the
Netherlands and Belgium, provided certain
conditions. In Belgium euthanasia is only allowed if
the patient is an adult.
 However, in the Netherlands euthanasia is allowed
for children aged between 12 and 16 years of age,
with the consent of their parents/guardians and for
individuals aged 16 years and over.

14. FAST FACT
• 9% of deaths in Netherlands resulted from
Euthanasia.

15. • In Japan, only " passive euthanasia”
is permitted for patients who have
been in a Coma for more than 3
months.

16. • Euthanasia is not legal here in the Philippines but
some are using Euthanasia or mercy killing on
terminally ill patients. They have no other choice
but to use Euthanasia to stop the patient from
suffering from pain.

17. FAST FACT
• Only 2 out of 10 terminally ill
patients survives because of proper
medications. The remaining 8 out of 10 is
sentenced to Euthanasia.

18. CONS OF EUTHANASIA
• Ethical concerns: Some consider it morally wrong.
• Risk of abuse: Pressure on vulnerable individuals.
• Slippery slope: Could extend beyond terminal illnesses.
• Religious objections: Many belief systems oppose it.
• Medical integrity: Contradicts the duty to preserve life.

19. PRO
• Those who are in favor of euthanasia argue that a
civilized society should allow people to die in
dignity and without pain. They add that as suicide
is not a crime, euthanasia should not be a crime.

20. AGAINST
 Most religions (Islam-Christianity-Judaism –Shinto
and Buddhism) disapprove of euthanasia for a
number of reasons:
1. God has forbidden it ( that says 'you must not kill').
2. Human life is sacred.
3. Human beings are made in God's image.
4. God gives people life, so only God has the right to
take it away.

21. RELIGIOUS CONCERNS
• “Life is a God given gift and should
therefore be treated with reverence
and is not our own to take.”

22. ADVANTAGES (WHO FOLLOWED)
People with terminal diseases that are in constant pain,
do not have to live like that any more.
It costs a lot of money to keep brain-dead people on life-
support machines.
People who are brain-dead are not really alive- it is fairer
to unplug them.
People who are paralysed or incapable of movement
often do not want to live in such a helpless state, for
example Tony Bland, who fought for the right to die.

23. ADVANTAGES (WHO FOLLOWED)
It should be our decision whether or not we want
to die.
If the person wants to die, they are causing no
harm to anyone.
It is implied in the Human Rights act that everyone
has the right to die.
Euthanasia is much more dignified than dying
slowly of a degenerative illness.

24. DISADVANTAGES
 There is often doubt about whether Euthanasia is really what the
patient wants, sometimes they are too ill to make rational
decisions.
 Diseases are never 100% terminal- a cure could be found in the
future.
 Doctors take the Hippocratic Oath, which means that they are
obliged to preserve life wherever possible.
 Religions believe in the Sanctity of life, which means that all life
is sacred and should be kept at all costs.
 Only God should decide when we die.

25. DISADVANTAGES
 Euthanasia is seen as murder in lots of countries, and murder
is against the law and the ten commandments.
 The bible bans suicide, which is essentially what Euthanasia is.
 By accepting Euthanasia, we are saying that people who are
disabled and ills lives are worth less than normal people.
 Allowing Euthanasia puts pressure on ill people to end their
lives so that they are no longer a burden to their families
 Some religious people would say that there is a value in
suffering.

26. OPINIONS
 It should be our decision whether or not we want to die.
 Preferred choice over slow, painful and expensive deaths.
 Why do people have to suffer?
 People should have the right to end their suffering. No one
wants to die in pain. Euthanasia should be legalized.
 Sometimes death ends suffering, not life.
 Suicide is okay sometimes
~ Government of Canada.

27. •Does consent of the
patient matter when
taking a human life?

28. HOMICIDE
The legal definition of homicide or murder is
“The killing of one human-being by another”
Does this definition include consent?

29. The legalization of Euthanasia, voluntary or not
leads to the legalization or social acceptability of
homicide.
It’s that simple.

30. CONCLUSION
• Euthanasia remains a complex and controversial issue with
strong arguments on both sides. Its legal status varies
worldwide.