TEN LINKS

LINK1
LINK2
LINK3
LINK4
LINK5
LINK6
LINK7
LINK8
LINK9
LINK10
LINK11
LINK12
LINK13
LINK14
LINK15

Link1. Dying without dignity

Dying with dignity is everyone’s wish including the patients who suffer from illness that has prognosis from specialists that there will be no improvent and low quality of life. Malcolm Stayner thinks his mother; Olive Stayner would have appreciated the choice of voluntary euthanasia if it had been available. Olive Stayner suffered from terminal kidney disease in 2005. She endured a long and painful death. Malcolm Stayner said his mother was not afraid of death and wished she could end her life at home. However as voluntary euthanasia was not provided in New Zealand and she went through agony of pain and mental deterioration. Stayner argues “prolonging a person’s suffering when they are terminally ill is inhumane.” Stayner is not the only one who had to watch as their loved-one suffer and die without dignity. The question is left unanswered if prolonging suffering and dying without dignity against the patient’s will is more immoral than voluntary euthanasia.


Link3. Maggie Barry: Euthanasia not the answer

National MP Maggie Barry says no to voluntary euthanasia as the standard of healthcare for New Zealanders with terminal and chronic illnesses is very high. She says world- class palliative care can provide comfortable care until the patient’s time and many advocates of euthanasia are unaware of this.

Link4. Is euthanasia for the living or the dying?

As the debate goes on if New Zealand should allow voluntary euthanasia and so, who is going to administer all the lethal injections? NZ Medical Associating oppose to this idea though supports “the concept of death with dignity and access to appropriate palliative care. Maryan Street has a bill ready for the ballot to allow New Zealanders to allow voluntary euthanasia and protect prosecutions of family members and health professionals for helping sufferers from pain. Palliative care may help with dying with dignity but it does not help with the pain the patient has to go through. Deborah Coddington argued in her story that it is her who would carry the burden of guilt for prematurely ending the life of her loved-one like a dog.

Link5. Man admits helping his wife to die

There are many cases where a family member or friends assist with suicide. A man was convicted and faces sentencing at the High Court at Auckland for helping his chronically-ill wife to die. Evan Mott researched and assembled a kit for his wife Rosemary Mott to kill herself. She suffered from aggressive form of Multiple sclerosis for many years and there is no cure for this illness.

Link15.Debate: Should we change the law to allow voluntary euthanasia?

One of the hot issues that government is having debate on is if New Zealand should allow voluntary euthanasia. Labour MP Maryan Street proposed a law change to permit voluntary Euthanasia under some circumstances. Slow euthanasia is provided by doctors however Maryan Street suggests more should be done and it is what the community wants and desire. At the moment when doctors withhold or withdraw treatment, court decisions imply if the treatment is sustaining life. Three facts are reviewed by the court. If qualified specialists are certain for there to be no improvement, and if the patient will suffer from very poor quality of life and lastly if the decision is what that patient would have wanted. However this debate on voluntary euthanasia goes on to provide more active assistance than just withdrawing or withholding the treatment.