Euthanasia: Why it Should Be Permitted Known as mercy killing in some quarters, euthanasia has over time become one of the most hotly debated issues. As with other controversial debates, many arguments have been presented both in support and in opposition of euthanasia with those actively involved in the debate basing their viewpoints mainly on ethical, medical as well as religious considerations. However, taking into account the various viewpoints on the same that have been presented over time, it would be prudent to permit euthanasia in certain conditions.

Euthanasia: An Overview

Euthanasia according to Thamson (1999) is "bringing about someone's death because to do so would be in that person's interests." In most cases, it is those with conditions considered incurable who undergo euthanasia. However, in some scenarios, people could ask that their life be ended for a variety of other reasons including but not limited to pain and mental anguish. Generally, a request for euthanasia is often lodged by the individual seeking to have his or her life ended. If a patient is too ill to request for the same i.e. If the said patient can't communicate, such a request may be lodged by the courts, medics or even relatives/family members. In most countries across the world, euthanasia remains illegal.

Why Euthanasia Should Be Permitted

It is important to note that in some cases, physical pain and suffering in addition to bringing about...

In those scenarios where the patient's situation has worsened to a point where the chances of recovery are nil, it beats logic to allow such a patient to continue suffering. In such a case, it would only be reasonable to administer euthanasia to the suffering individual so as to preserve his or her dignity and save him or her more pain and suffering. Norman, Jackson and Rosenbaum (2010) capture this argument perfectly with their assertion that "sometimes, living with a painful disease may reasonably be seen as worse than death…" In such a scenario, the decision to end an individual's life can be undertaken by the suffering individual, the courts or even the relatives of such an individual depending on the prevailing circumstances.
Euthanasia should also be permitted for terminally ill patients on cost grounds. For instance, a condition that cannot be treated could end up costing the family a significant amount of money in terms of management and control. Further, critically ill patients on a life support machine could remain in an unconscious state for a long period of time without registering any sort of improvement. It would only be reasonable in such a case to administer euthanasia so as to ensure that the patient's family is not left destitute on the eventual death of the patient.

When it comes to the laws governing the issue, it is important to note that as…