Have you ever been so sick that you would have preferred to die? Are there moments that you had a headache so terrible that you might have preferred to have your head ‘cleaved-off’ and then miraculously sewn back together? Okay, maybe that’s not what euthanasia is about but it’s a blurry picture of the real thing.
Euthanasia is the practice of intentionally and painlessly killing a person or animal for humane reason, especially to end pain, great suffering or poor quality of life, some just call it physician assisted suicide or mercy killing. It can involve giving lethal dose of a drug or ending all life support means
It is important to note that euthanasias intention is a pretty good one. Its aim yet remains to give the ultimate solution to pain alleviation i.e. death. Pain is the most visible sign of distress or persistent suffering in people with cancer and other life-threatening, chronic condition, which makes pain management an important part of any treatment, especially palliative and terminal care. Euthanasia is actually, at least relatively, the ultimate solution to constant pain and suffering. And guess what? It is cost effective. You may ask why? This is because it frees up the healthcare system for more salvageable patients saving relatives the mental stress and cost of care for a certain patient XYZ who would eventually still die.
While Euthanasia might seem like a wonder drug, it yet still presents with the big question which is, Where do we draw the line? It is a question of morals, especially in a world of miracles and wonders. What and who determines when euthanasia should be administered? How much pain is painful enough to be worthy of death? Also, there is the risk of devaluation of human lives. Until these important questions are answered, euthanasia will continue to be an unpopular opinion.
Finally, euthanasia is a very sensitive subject to both religious and moral scrutiny. If it must be considered, it therefore must be a last resort.
