Mercy Killing - DoctorNDTV Survey

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Euthanasia, also known as assisted suicide, is the practice of terminating the life of a person in a painless way. It is a controversial issue because of conflicting moral feelings both for the individual and between different cultures, ethnicities, religions and other groups. The laws around the world vary greatly with regard to euthanasia and are constantly subject to change as cultural values shift and better palliative care or treatments become available. It is illegal in India and most parts of the world. On one hand, activists claim euthanasia and assisted suicide are government mandated suffering, yet on the other hand, people question if people should be given the right to commit suicide.

The DoctorNDTV.com survey on this issue has shown a mixed response. More than half the respondents feel that the decision should not be left to the doctors or the next of kin, while one third support the doctors / relatives right to take this decision. Two-thirds agree that euthanasia is the same as mercy killing. Though seventy one percent people feel that legal advice is necessary before taking a decision, most people (>88%) feel that it can be misused in India.

User Opinions

it should be legalised. some measurement has to be taken to avoid of misusing it like the person to be killed must have a longstanding health problem supported by the medical records. the doctors should certify that the person has not even 0.5% of returnin Sent by dr. lakshmanan
people suffering from terminal disease can definetly opt for euthanasia. especially so if they are aged. i have seen my grandma suffering from bed soares with no vailable treatment then. she had to live with it for about a month before she breathed. Sent by meenakshi vijay
if it bears valid reason, mercy killing can be allowed. Sent by kavitha.m
i agree with mercy killing as it can be terrible to suffer. Sent by justin fontana
try to save life. if death occurs despite all possible treatments, then so be it. however, for them who can not afford expensive treatments, society/goverment should make provisions for their treatment, but not mercy killing Sent by ramakrushna
anything will be misused in india. Sent by subashini chowdhury
given the current state of affairs in india where a person could be pronounced mentally unstable without even examining him... the reasons for euthanasia can be easily faked, making it just another weapon for the miscreants. Sent by siddharth
if people who are terminally ill and which induces them through a lot of pain and suffering, which is more painful than death itself thei i think its in the best interest of the patient that euthanasia be administered to the patient Sent by a.sreevalli
i work in a hospital and have come across people pleading to be helped at the end of their lives, when theyre in pain. if we can have the right to abortion, choice of careers, choice of where we live and when to go on vacation, why cant we have a right to Sent by sheela jaywant
this is india and we should always go through the pros and cons of our actions coz this kind of reform may give another platform to hide their misdeeds Sent by shobhit
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