ATTITUDE OF DOCTORS TOWARDS EUTHANASIA

Background- Those who are pro euthanasia believe that such act eliminates the patient's pain and suffering. Right to die allows the person to die with dignity. But euthanasia may involve taking a human's life, The present study evaluates the attitude of doctors involved in care of critically ill patients towards euthanasia. Material & methods- A survey on Euthanasia was conducted amongst 100 doctors involved in the treatment of critically ill patients of various ailments at ICARE institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre & B.C.Roy Hospital, Haldia, West Bengal, India, to ?nd out their attitude towards euthanasia. In present study, majority i.e., 64 (64%) subjects were between 31-40 years, Results- 24 (24%) subjects were between 41-50 years, 10 (10%) subjects were between 51-60 years while 2 (2%) subjects were more than 60 years. 56(28%) subjects were females while 44 (44%) subjects were males. 4 (4%) were Neurophysician, 5 (5%) were Neurosurgeon, 32 (32%) were Critical care consultant, 19 (19%) were Anesthetist, 34 (34%) were, 6 (6%) were Surgeon. 89 (89%) (81.2-94.4%, 95%CI) subjects were anti-euthanasia. In majority of circumstances, 89 (89%) subjects said they will not give euthanasia while 11 (11%) (5.6-18.8%, 95%CI) subjects said they will give euthanasia. Though the Supreme Court Conclusion- judgement has provided a major boost, it is a long way to go before it becomes a law. Also, its misuse remains a major issue.

Medición funcional en el dominio de la ética empírica / Functional Measurement in the Field of Empirical Ethics / Medição funcional no domínio da ética empírica

El presente artículo propone un enfoque empírico de la ética derivado de la teoría psicológica del juicio humano propuesta por Norman Anderson. Muestra cómo la metodología de esta teoría ­denominada medición funcional­ puede utilizarse para caracterizar las diversas posiciones personales que existen en todas las sociedades respecto a los problemas de salud pública. Los principales resultados de tres estudios realizados en tres países diferentes (Guinea, Francia y Colombia) se presentan como ilustración de lo que puede aportar este enfoque. Dichos análisis se centraron en tres problemas deliberadamente muy diferentes: (a) el deber de atender a los pacientes infectados, en caso de una epidemia que ponga en peligro la vida de los cuidadores; (b) la aceptabilidad de la reproducción postmortem, en el caso de los soldados que mueren en combate, y (c) la aceptabilidad del suicidio asistido por un médico

This paper presents the proposal of an empirical ap-proach to ethics derived from a psychological theory of human judgment proposed by Norman Anderson. It shows how the methodology specific to this theory ­functional measurement­ makes it possible to char-acterize the various personal positions that exist in all societies regarding public health problems. The main results of three studies carried out in three different countries (Guinea, France, and Colombia) on various problems are presented as an illustration of what this approach can offer. These analyses focused on three deliberately very different problems: (a) the duty to care for infected patients in the event of a pandemic that puts at risk the lives of the health professionals, (b) the acceptability of postmortem reproduction in the specific context of fallen soldiers, and (c) the accept-ability of physicianassisted suicide

Este artigo propõe uma abordagem empírica da ética derivada da teoria psicológica do julgamento humano proposta por Norman Anderson. Mostra como a metodo-logia dessa teoria ­ denominada medição funcional­ pode ser utilizada para caracterizar as diversas posições pessoais que existem em todas as sociedades em relação aos problemas de saúde pública. Os principais resulta-dos de três estudos, realizados em três países diferentes (Guiné, França e Colômbia), são apresentados como uma ilustração do que esta abordagem pode contribuir. Esses estudos se concentraram em três problemas de-liberadamente muito diferentes: (a) o dever de cuidar de pacientes infectados no caso de uma epidemia que ponha em risco a vida dos cuidadores, (b) a aceitabilida-de da reprodução postmortem no caso de soldados que morrem em combate, e (c) a aceitabilidade do suicídio assistido por médicos

Arguments in Support and Against Euthanasia.

The aim of this article is to present and confront the arguments in support of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide, and the arguments against. The arguments for and against euthanasia are listed and discussed to literature cited. Euthanasia is an act of mercy, and, basically means to take a deliberate action with the express intention of ending a life to relieve intractable, persistent, unstoppable suffering. The phenomenon about both the morality and legality of euthanasia and physician assisted death have been a significant debates of the last decades of the twentieth century and they will remain further a source of controversies. This paper explores and analyze the arguments in support and against euthanasia and physician assisted suicide. For the purpose of this article has been viewed over the Internet and Google total of 247 journal articles, book chapters and websites, and, in writing of this article we used 74 references cited in the manuscript. The ‘end of life’ issue in relation to euthanasia and physician assisted suicide is a most widely discussed phenomenon not only in academic and official literature, but also in daily life. Euthanasia should be legally permissible if certain conditions are present: the patient is terminally ill, death is imminent, and, treatment was appropriate and well. If a patient autonomously chooses to end his life or have someone else assist him in doing so, then it is morally permissible. Patient must be fully informed of the diagnosis and prognosis of an incurable, fatal disease, and competent to make the decision. This article is a contribution to the debate on the important topic of euthanasia. We conclude that euthanasia should be used only in cases of last resort and not as an alternative to palliative care.

Stoic defence of physician-assisted suicide / Defensa estoica del suicidio asistido por el médico / Defesa estoica do suicídio assistido por médico

Rational suicide can be minimally defined as: instrumentally rational, autonomous, due to stable goals and not due to mental illness. One major problem with rational suicide is that it tends toward a technical psychiatric definition, excluding any philosophical explanation of why rational suicide could be ethically justified. In other words, there is a tendency towards an instrumental view of rationality which concentrates on safeguarding the rational means of suicide, rather than fully considering the rational ends of why suicide could be ethically justified in certain special and controlled circumstances. To begin, the plausibility of rational suicide is explored. Following on, the classical stoic idea of rational ends of suicide is then reframed for a more contemporary audience in the socially relevant context of physician-assisted suicide.

El suicidio racional puede definirse mínimamente como: racional instrumentalmente, autónomo, debido a metas estables y no a enfermedad mental. Un problema mayor con el suicidio racional es que tiende hacia una definición técnica psiquiátrica, excluyendo cualquiera explicación filosófica sobre su justificación ética. En otras palabras, existe una tendencia hacia una visión instrumental de la racionalidad, porque se concentra en salvaguardar los medios racionales de suicidio, más que en considerar plenamente los fines racionales de por qué el suicidio podría ser éticamente justificado en ciertas circunstancias especiales y controladas. Para comenzar, se explora la posibilidad de suicidio racional. Luego, la idea estoica clásica de los fines racionales del suicidio es reformulada para una audiencia más contemporánea, en el contexto socialmente relevante de suicidio asistido por el médico.

Suicídio racional pode ser minimamente definido como: instrumentalmente racional, autônomo, causado por objetivos estáveis enão derivado de doença mental. Um importante problema com o suicídio racional é a sua tendência de uma definição técnica psiquiátrica, excluindo qualquer explicação filosófica do porquê que o suicídio racional poderia ser eticamente justificado. Em outras palavras, há uma tendência do ponto de vista instrumental de racionalidade que concentra sob salvaguardas os meios racionais de suicídio, em vez de considerar totalmente as finalidades racionais pelas quais o suicídio poderia ser eticamente justificado em certas circunstâncias, especiais e controladas. Para começar, a plausibilidade do suicídio racional é explorada. Em seguida, a clássica ideia estoica dos fins racionais do suicídio é, então reformulada para um público mais contemporâneo num contexto socialmente relevante do suicídio assistido por médico.

Euthanasia: Most controversial and debatable topic.

Euthanasia or mercy killing is a topic of controversies and debate morally, ethically; legally. Present article deals with various aspects of euthanasia like concept of euthanasia, types, medical, legal, ethical, social, religious &philosophical, policies in other countries & particular reference to Indian culture.

Euthanasia [mercy killing].

Euthanasia is a controversial subject, not only because there are many moral dilemmas associated with it, but also in what constitutes its definition. At the extreme ends of disagreement, some school of thoughts are of the opinion that euthanasia, also known as physician assisted suicide or physician aid in dying, is a meriful act of dying. At the other end, there are opponents of euthanasia who believe that this method is a form of murder. In the present article, the authors give a brief description about the subject and discuss its moral implications in different countries in brief.