Death with dignity
Sir,
Euthanasia or
mercy killing is a practice of killing without
pain. A person suffering from a disease that
cannot be cured or from extreme old age that he
or she can die with dignity. The Dutch parliament
has recently passed a bill legalising euthanasia.
No other country in the world has formally
legalised euthanasia. After getting a legal
status doctors in Netherlands will be permitted
to inject lethal drugs into chronically ill
people who want to die. However, before doing so,
it should be certified by two physicians, that
the patient is terminally ill and suffering an
unbearable condition. Besides, after each case of
mercy killing the same will be reviewed by a
lawyer.
Something akin to
the euthanasia law exists in the US State of
Orregan by the name of Death with dignity Act,
While oregon has between 1998 to 2000 registered
an 96 cases of 'death with dignity'. Netherlands
registers an abnormally high number 4000 cases
each year. The difference is all too evident in
the manner of implementation of the law. The US
law is far more restrictive than the Dutch law.
While in Netherlands doctors inject the lethal
drug after medical review, in oregon the patient
must be allowed to swallow the drugs themselves.
Further in Netherlands children below 12 are
eligible but in oregon only those above 18 are
eligible. Besides in oregon a patient must have
six months or less to live.
Should this
practice of euthanasia be legalised in India
where the number of such cases may be more higher
due to large size of population and poor medical
facilities. It is a matter of concern, so all
socio-political and religious bodies should form
an opinion for it.
Yours etc...
Waseem Raja
SKUAST-J
R S Pura
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