euthanasia

Contents• Definition of euthanasia• Types of euthanasia• Law on euthanasia

• Acceptance of euthanasia in Malaysia

• Islamic Perspective

INTRODUCTIONDEFINITION & TYPES

What is euthanasia ?εὐθανασία ( euthanatos )

εὐ/eu : good or wellΘανασία : death

Euthanasia or mercy killing is the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering.

orAssisted suicide

Francis Bacon ( 17th Century ) – easy, painless and happy death

Types of euthanasia• Active – involve the use of

lethal substances or forces, such as administering a lethal

injection• Passive – involve the withholding or withdrawing

treatment that is necessary to maintain life.

Involuntary

Non -volunt

ary

Voluntary

World War II Germany• October, 1939- Adolf Hitler

enacted the Action T4 program.

• Euthanize incurably ill, physically or mentally disabled, emotionally

distraught, and elderly people.

• Gas chambers

• Starved to death

LAWSOF

EUTHANASIA

Canada

CanadaEuthanasia is not yet legal in

Canada but it will be by June 2016.

Netherlands

originally

Dutch law banned euthanasia

2002

Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide Act • Makes euthanasia and

assisted suicide legal under certain conditions

1973

Postma case• Postma’s wife, Truus, performed euthanasia on his mother by

injecting 200 mg morphine. • She had suffered a brain haemorrhage, was deaf, had difficulty

speaking, and had to be tied to her chair in her nursing home to avoid her falling. She repeatedly begged her daughter-in-law to end her life.

• Given symbolic punishment : one week suspended prison sentence and 12 months' probation

Dutch Voluntary Euthanasia Society was launched

Timeline….

Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide Act Euthanasia is included in the Criminal Code of a special ground for exemption from criminal liability : doctors who terminate life on request or assist in a patient’s suicide can no longer be prosecuted if they fulfil these conditions:

• Be satisfied that the patient’s request is voluntary and well-considered

• Be satisfied that the patient’s suffering is unbearable and that there is no prospect of improvement

• Inform the patient of his or her situation and further prognosis

• Discuss the situation with the patient and come to the joint conclusion that there is no other reasonable solution

• Consult at least one other physician with no connection to the case, who must then see the patient and state in writing that the attending physician has satisfied the due care criteria listed in the four points above

Gronigen Protocol• Text created in September 2004 by a

committee of physicians and others leading by Eduard Verhagen, the medical director of the Department of Pediatrics at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)• The protocol has been approved by the

Dutch National Association of Pediatricians.• It contains directives with criteria under

which physicians can perform "active ending of life on infants" (child euthanasia) without fear of legal prosecution

• In the Gronigen Protocol, the termination of a child's life (under age 12) is acceptable if these 4 requirements were properly fulfilled:

1. The presence of hopeless and unbearable suffering

2. The consent of the parents to termination of life

3. Medical consultation having taken place

4. Careful execution of the termination

Practice of Euthanasia in Netherlands

1st March 2012Netherlands Euthanasia Lobby (NVVE) launched six Mobile Euthanasia Teams as part of a euthanasia clinic to cause an estimated 1000 euthanasia deaths to people who were either turned down by their doctor, or who are disabled or frail elderly and lacking mobility.

Report from Dutch News on 24th September 2013, it is stated that there were 4188 reported requests for euthanasia in 2012 which is double the number in 2006

Australia

• Illegal in Australia

• Although the public supports legalizing Euthanasia , Australian governments continue to resist legalizing euthanasia or assisted suicide.

• Opponents of legalization: “Once we take the significant step of allowing doctors to ‘kill’ patients in narrowly defined circumstances, there will be pressure to increase the range of circumstances with amending legislation. And it’s easier to amend existing legislation than enact it in the first place

• Proponents of legalization: Generally respond by claiming there is no evidence of either concern being realized in places where euthanasia is lawful

Who should have the access: should it be restricted to the

terminally ill?

Should it extend to people who have an unbearable physical

condition which does not make them

terminally ill?

Should it even extend to people

who aren’t physically ill at all,

but are experiencing unbearable mental

suffering?

North Territory• Euthanasia was legalized (Rights of the

Terminally III Act 1995)

• Passed by a vote of 15 to 10 but was defeated by 14 votes to 10 a year later in 1996

• Soon after, the law was voided by the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997

• However, before the Commonwealth government made this amendment, three people had already died through physician assisted suicide

Japan

• Known as anraku-shi, means “peaceful death

• No acts or official laws regarding the status of euthanasia based on Japanese Penal Code in The Constitution of Japan

• The Supreme Court has never ruled on the matter; two local court cases that happened back in 1962 and 1995 → frameworks and conditions for Japan’s euthanasia policy

• One can legally end patient’s life as long as the conditions are fulfilled

Passive Euthanasia

• The patient must be suffering from an incurable disease

• The patient must express consent to stop treatment (their consent may be determined from a pre-written document such as a living will or the testimony of the family)

• The patient may be passively euthanized by stopping medical treatment

Active Euthanasia

• The patient must be suffering from unbearable physical pain

• The patient must give consent (living wills and family consent will not suffice)

• The physician must have exhausted all other measures of pain relief

DEATH OF DIGNITY• Concept emerged in 1970s but become a hot

topic recently

• Increment in aging & childless Japanese society lead to the government starting to reflect on legalizing it; a practice meant to cut medical costs of patients in a vegetative state

• Defined as : The act of letting a terminally ill or a patient in a persistent vegetative state die by withdrawing life-sustaining treatment on request in the form of a living will

ACCEPTANCE OF EUTHANASIA AMONG

MALAYSIANS

Main purpose: To focus on public awareness and thoughts of euthanasia in Malaysia.

ACCEPTANCE OF EUTHANASIA AMONG MALAYSIANS

Have you ever heard of euthanasia?

Yes No

77.7% (69)

22.3% (21) o 90 responses had been

submitted o Age 19-60 years oldo Mostly students, some are

teachers, engineers and doctors.

ACCEPTANCE OF EUTHANASIA AMONG MALAYSIANS

HOW MUCH DO YOU AGREE ON EUTHANASIA BEING CARRIED OUT IN MALAYSIA? Arguments for euthanasia

o help relieving pain o low chances to liveo save cost, time and

energy of doctors

Arguments against euthanasiao Religious factoro Equals to suicide and

murdero Against ethics

EUTHANASIA BASED ON

ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES

EUTHANASIA AND SUICIDE IN ISLAM

Muslims are against euthanasia. They believe that all human life is sacred/pure because it is given by Allah and Allah chooses how long each person will live. Human beings should not interfere in this.

Surah Al-Isra’

Surah Ali Imran

Surah An-Nahl

EUTHANASIA IN ISLAM

However, the Islamic Code of Medical Ethics states "it is futile to diligently keep the patient in a vegetative state by heroic means…It is the process of life that the doctor aims to maintain and not the process of dying".

CONCLUSION

Suffering and pain are parts of our life. The lesson in endurance when patient was in pain is to be thankful in times of health and patient in times of sickness.