Withholding and Withdrawing Medical Treatment †MyAssignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Withholding and Withdrawing Medical Treatment. Answer: Introduction: Autonomy of a patient who is experiencing a terminal condition cannot be considered. The Health professionals have the solemn duty of saving lives and not the opposite. When a health worker comes across a patient, then such patient can be enthused and motivated to fight against all the odds. The patient can be assured that the doctors are with him and all this family member will fight alongside him for his recovery. Respecting human dignity is at the same time a violation of being righteousness and the aspects of religion also comes into consideration. It is also important to mention that euthanasia is the deliberate act of ending a person's life in order to relieve the pain and suffering. For example- if a doctor administers an overdose of a drug to a patient suffering from a terminal illness and the overdose of a drug serve as a muscle relaxant that will end the life of the patient (NHS.uk., 2018). Euthanasia is not legal in Australia; however, Victoria became the first state in Au stralia that has legalised Euthanasia (the Guardian, 2018). The main question here is why the autonomy of a person will be considered who is in a terminal condition? Euthanasia is actually administering an overdose of the drug to a patient who is suffering from a terminal illness and the drug acts as a muscle relaxant. The withdrawal of the medical treatment is same for the patient for a patient that has either experienced a shock from an accident or is suffering from a terminal illness (Sanchini, Nardini Boniolo, 2014). The outcome of both the step leads to the death of the patient and thus both can be considered as a potential way of ending a patients life. Thus, legalising the euthanasia and the various associated steps involved with the euthanasia, it is also important to note that the withdrawal of euthanasia is a potential form of euthanasia that does not involve the administration of an overdose of a drug, but however it leads to the death of the patient (Reichlin, 2014). For example, a terminal ill patient that has already expressed his desire that if he will ever encounter a situation, where there is no chance to return back to normal l ife. Then life support services must be withdrawn from him. This is similar to the administering euthanasia to the terminally ill patient. The final outcome is actually the death of the patient and thus withdrawal of life-supporting services and administering euthanasia is all the same. From the global perspective, it can be derived that euthanasia is legalized in the several countries like Japan, South Korea, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and the in certain US states like California, Washington, Montana, Vermont, Hawaii, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. In Australia it is not legalized as a whole, however, the state of Victoria has legalized euthanasia. Thus it can be said that not every nation is for legalizing the euthanasia (the Guardian 2018). Conclusion Thus, from the above debate, it can be concluded that the ethical principles that lie underneath the withdrawal of the medical treatment and the active euthanasia are altogether the same. Legalizing euthanasia will also involve the legalizing the withdrawal at the same time. Reference NHS.uk. (2018). Euthanasia and assisted suicide. nhs.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2018, from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/euthanasia-and-assisted-suicide/ Reichlin, M. (2014). On the ethics of withholding and withdrawing medical treatment. Multidisciplinary respiratory medicine, 9(1), 39. Sanchini, V., Nardini, C., Boniolo, G. (2014). The withholding/withdrawing distinction in the end-of-life debate. Multidisciplinary respiratory medicine, 9(1), 13. the Guardian. (2018). Euthanasia and assisted suicide laws around the world. the Guardian. Retrieved 16 April 2018, from https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jul/17/euthanasia-assisted-suicide-laws-world