Medical Ethics

The termination of a life is a touchy subject. There is the obvious factor of religion, because many relgious people feel that God gave life and only God can take life. But where do we draw the line between taking life and allowing death? Without medical training and education, it is hard to know where to draw this line. Is a person dead when they are brain dead, even though doctors may be able to keep that person breathing on a machine? If a person has suffered severely from a disease or fatal accident, and is only being kept alive on machines, who gets to decide the fate of that human being? When a person cannot express their own wishes, does it go to their immediate family (i.e. their significant other) or should it go to their parents, assuming they are still alive themselves? Or should it be no one’s choice? If doctors refuse to pull the plug and let a person die, and wait until the person dies from natural causes, who pays for the medical bills? Is it fair to force that person to live the rest of their life on a machine in a hospital? And is that fair to the family members and friends who have to watch their loved one in such a condition, that is most likely irreversable?

These questions are difficult because there are no answers, only opinions. Whether your opinions are based in your religious faith, personal experience, or something else, the main concern should be the life of the patient. Whoever ultimately decides the fate of the patient needs to take into consideration the quality of life for the patient and their own willingness to care extensively for the patient, based on the quality of life.