Euthanasia - L-ewtanasja

Those in Australia living in Victoria or New South Wales might be aware of proposals by the state governments there to introduce and regulate euthanasia.

 

The word is derived is derived from the Greek euthanatos which means 'easy death', and generally is used to describe the process of intentionally terminating the life of a human or animal to reduce pain and suffering.1  Euthanisia is also called assisted suicide and mercy killing.

 

From when I was a kid, I'd hear about cases of some animal being killed, and this considered an act of mercy, when it was in much pain and/or was not going to recover.  A common example was racehorses that break their legs during races (those organised for the pleasure of humans), a state from which they wouldn't recover, and then proceed to be killed, as an act of mercy.  I always remember asking myself, for people who end up in similar situations, is there no mercy?

 

In Victoria, euthanasia is being proposed to be allowed for adults in pain who are estimated to have less than 12 months to live, with the condition that they are still of sound mind, have repeatedly expressed their wish to do so, and who administer the lethal dose themselves unless they are incapable of doing so, amongst other restrictions.2

 

Similar legislation is being proposed in NSW3, and in the two states a vote is expected to be taken by the end of this year 2017.

 

The proposals are about active euthanasia, where a substance is administered to cause death.  In fact, passive euthanasia, where for instance a patient refuses medical care that can save his life, or where physicians choose not to offer treatment which does not offer reasonable benefit or would be too onerous on the patient, is already permitted (although not called euthanasia) in all Australian states.4

 

Around the world, active euthanasia is legal in Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Canada and some states in the US.

 

The arguments against active euthanasia include that it changes the role of doctors from that of saving lives to that of terminating it; that this step is unnecessary due to the use of palliative care (where terminally ill people have their pain reduced as much as possible); that this step is the first of a slippery slope and eventually would lead to practicing active euthanasia on those who would not have given consent.

 

I do find this is one of most difficult subject to think about its morality.  The fifth commandment brought down by Moses from the mountain 'thou shalt not kill' is so simple and clear, though if you think about it, you'd realise it's simplistic rather than simple.  For example, exceptions considered a 'just war' are permitted by the Catholic Church under strict conditions, and this naturally includes killing.5  So are there other exceptions, under strict conditions, that can be made in cases of serious, terminal and debilitating illnesses of humans?

 

The Church says that morally, active (termed 'direct') euthanasia cannot be accepted,6 although passive euthanasia (not called so, but described as stopping medical procedures for reasons similar to the ones described previously) is permitted.7

 

What is missing is the voice of the gravely ill and the death-bound.  What do they want?  Does their view not count at all?  Some would have lost their mental faculties, but others are as sharp as ever, notwithstanding their condition.  Out of these, not all, but a substantial part want the option of active euthanasia.

 

Here is my difficulty:  if such a person were to come in front of you, knowing he is dying inexorably, is suffering, has no quality of life and no further aim in life, and tells you he wants to leave this valley of tears today, not tomorrow, what would you tell him?  Naturally, you can tell him to take heart, God is with him, that you will think of and pray for him, provide a distraction from his sad condition and be there for him.  For some, this would be of great comfort.  Others might be clear they want assistance of a different kind.

 

I ask, does'nt a person at the end of his life even have control over his own life?  Why should I, or the state, have the power to interfere and tell him what he can or can not do?  If he wants to terminate his life (and this has to be established as having been done voluntarily beyond doubt), why should we hold those that have pity on him, providing assistance for his wishes to be carried out, and throw them in jail?

 

My faith tells me that killing is wrong.  The gaze of a moribund, pleading that I help him stop his suffering, convinces me otherwise.

 

 

 

Min fl-Awstralja jgħix f'Victoria jew New South Wales forsi jaf bi proposti tal-gvern statali biex tiġi introdotta u rregolata l-ewtanasja għan-nies.

 

Il-kelma hija mnissla mill-Grieg euthanatos li tfisser 'mewt faċli', u ġeneralment tintuża biex tiddeskrivi l-proċess ta' terminu intenzjonali tal-ħajja ta' bniedem jew ta' annimal biex jitnaqqaslu l-uġigħ u s-sofferenza.1  L-ewtanasja tissejjaħ ukoll suwiċidju assistit (assisted suicide) u qtil tal-ħniena (mercy killing).

 

Minn meta kont żgħir, ġieli kont nisma' b'każijiet fejn xi annimal jiġi maqtul, u dan ikkunsidrat bħala att ta' ħniena, meta l-annimal ikun f'uġigħ kbir u/jew ma jkunx se jfiq.  Eżempju komuni kien żwiemel tat-tiġrija li jiksru saqajhom waqt xi tellieqa (minn dawk li jsiru biex jitpaxxew il-bnedmin), stat li ma jkunx hemm fejqan għalih, u mbagħad jinqatlu, bħala att ta' ħniena.  Dejjem niftakar li kont nistaqsi lili nnifsi, allura għall-bnedmin li jispiċċaw f'sitwazzjonijiet simili, m'hemmx ħniena?

 

F'Victoria, l-ewtanasja qed tiġi proposta li tkun imħollija ssir għal adulti miġugħin li jkun stmat li baqagħlom inqas minn tnax-il xahar ħajja, bil-kundizzjonijiet li dawn ikunu għadhom b'moħħhom f'sikktu, ikunu urew ir-rieda għal dan il-pass ripetutament, u jamministraw id-doża letali huma stess sakemm ma jkunux inkapaċi li jagħmlu dan, fost restrizzjonijiet oħra.2

 

Leġislazzjoni simili qed tiġi proposta f'NSW3, u fiż-żewġ stati huwa mistenni li vot jittieħed sal-aħħar ta' din is-sena 2017.

 

Il-proposti jirrigwardaw l-ewtanasja attiva, fejn tiġi amministrata sustanza li tikkawża l-mewt.  Fil-fatt, l-ewtanasja passiva, fejn per eżempju pazjent jirrifjuta kura medika li jista' jsalvalu ħajtu, jew fejn tobba jagħżlu li ma joffrux din il-kura medika li ma tkunx ta' benefiċċju raġjonevoli jew li tkun iebsa wisq għall-pazjent, hija diġa permessa (għalkemm mhux imsejħa ewtanasja) fl-istati kollha Awstraljani.4

 

Madwar id-dinja, l-ewtanasja attiva hija legali fl-Olanda, il-Belġju, il-Lussemburgu, l-Isvizzera, il-Kanada u ċerti stati fl-Istati Uniti.

 

L-argumenti kontra l-ewtanasja attiva jinkludu li jinbidel ir-rwol tat-tabib minn dak li jsalva l-ħajja għal dak li jtemmha; li dan il-pass mhux bżonnjuż minħabba l-użu tal-kura palljativa (fejn persuni fi tmiem ta' ħajjithom ikollhom l-uġigħ tagħhom imnaqqas kemm jista' jkun); illi pass bħal dan ikun qisu żurżieqa u eventwalment nispiċċaw inwettqu l-ewtanasja attiva fuq persuni li ma jkunux taw il-kunsens tagħhom.

 

Ngħid għalija, dan hu wieħed mill-iktar suġġetti diffiċli biex naħseb fuq il-moralità tiegħu.  Il-ħames kmandament li niżżel Mosè mill-muntanja 'la toqtolx' huwa tant sempliċi u ċar, imma jekk toqgħod taħseb ftit, tinduna li huwa iktar sempliċist milli sempliċi.  Per eżempju, eċċezzjonijiet li jitqiesu 'gwerra ġusta' huma permessi mill-Knisja Kattolika taħt kundizzjonijiet stretti, u dan naturalment jinkludi l-qtil.5  Allura hemm eċċezzjonijiet oħra, taħt kundizzjonijiet stretti, li jistgħu jingħataw f'każijiet ta' mard kiefer, terminali u debilitanti tal-bniedem?  

 

Il-Knisja tgħid li moralment, l-ewtanasja attiva (imsejħa 'diretta') ma tistax tiġi aċċettata,6 għalkemm l-ewtanasja passiva (li ma ssejħilhiex hekk, imma tiddeskriviha bħala waqfien ta' proċeduri mediċi għal raġunijiet simli għal dawk li ddeskrivejt qabel) hija permessa.7

 

Li huwa nieqes hija l-vuċi tal-morda gravi u tal-moribondi.  Dawn x'iridu?  L-opinjoni tagħhom ma tgħodd għal xejn?  Uħud ikunu tilfu l-faċilità mentali, imma oħrajn ikollhom moħħhom ċar daqs il-kristall, minkejja l-kundizzjoni tagħhom.  Minn dawn, mhux kollha, imma parti sostanzjali minnhom jitolbu l-faċilità tal-ewtanasja attiva.

 

Hija hawn id-diffikultà tiegħi: jekk jiġi bniedem bħal dan quddiemek, jaf li qed imut bla tama ta' fejqan, qiegħed ibati, għandu kwalità tal-ħajja taħt iż-żero, ma baqagħlux skop fil-ħajja, u jgħidlek li jrid jitlaq illum qabel għada, int x'se tgħidlu?  Naturalment, tista' tgħidlu biex iqawwi qalbu, li Alla miegħu, li se taħseb u titlob għalih, anke tgħinu jderri u forsi tassistih fis-siegħa tal-prova tiegħu, u dan kollu tajjeb.  Lil uħud, dan huwa ta' serħan kbir.  Oħrajn, ikunu ċari li jridu assistenza ferm differenti.

 

Jien nistaqsi, bniedem fi tmiem ħajtu, lanqas kontroll fuq ħajtu tiegħu nnifsu m'għandu?  Jien, jew l-istat, x'jedd għandna biex nindaħlulu, u ngħidulu x'jista' jagħmel u x'ma jistax?  Jekk irid itemm ħajtu (u dan irid ikun stabbilit li jkun sar volontarjament 'il fuq minn kwalunkwe suspett), għalfejn għandna nixħtu lil min ħenn għalih, u assistih fix-xewqa tiegħu, il-ħabs?

 

Il-fidi tiegħi tgħidli li l-qtil ħażin.  Il-ħarsa ta' moribond bla saħħa, jitlobni bil-ħrara li ngħinu jtemm it-tbatija tiegħu, tikkonvinċini mod ieħor.

1Euthanasia, human rights and the law; Australian Human Rights Commission; May 2016; p3

2http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/victorian-euthanasia-laws-plan-to-give-terminally-ill-adult-patients-access-to-lethal-medication/news-story/a67e6fabc2e5d4b6d3d5a766013acc23, retrieved 3/10/2017

3http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-16/draft-legislation-in-nsw-a-step-closer-to-assisted-dying/8529082, retrieved 3/10/2017

4Euthanasia, human rights and the law; Australian Human Rights Commission; May 2016; p5-6

5Catechism of the Catholic Church; para 2308-2310.

6Ibid., para 2277

7Ibid., para 2278

1Euthanasia, human rights and the law; Australian Human Rights Commission; May 2016; p3

2http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/victorian-euthanasia-laws-plan-to-give-terminally-ill-adult-patients-access-to-lethal-medication/news-story/a67e6fabc2e5d4b6d3d5a766013acc23, retrieved 3/10/2017

3http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-16/draft-legislation-in-nsw-a-step-closer-to-assisted-dying/8529082, retrieved 3/10/2017

4Euthanasia, human rights and the law; Australian Human Rights Commission; May 2016; p5-6

5Catechism of the Catholic Church; para 2308-2310.

6Ibid., para 2277

7Ibid., para 2278