PROS-The patients' tremendous amounts of pain and suffering will end.
-The patients die knowing that it was their choice. -The patients can die with dignity rather than a shell of their former selves. -Health care costs can be reduced. -The nurse or doctor can move onto another patient that has a chance at living instead of spending their time helping a terminally ill patient. -Pain of the patient's family can be reduced. -Vital organs can be saved and used to save other patients. -Without physician assistance people may commit suicide in messy, horrifying, or tramatic ways. |
CONS-It would violate the doctor's hippocratic oath.
-It decreases the value of human life. -It could open the floodgate to non-critical patient suicides and other abuses. -Many religions believe that if you commit suicide you are sent straight to Hell. Therefore, it is harder for the famililes. -Doctors and families may be prompted to give up on recovery much too early -Government and insurance companies may may put undue pressure on doctors to avoid heroic measures or recommend the PAS procedure. -Doctors' could be given too much power |