Assisted Suicide Argumentative Essay

According to Gonchar from the New York Times states that “In a Gallup Poll 70 percent of respondents agreed that when patients and their families wanted it, doctors should be allowed to ‘end the patient’s life by some painless means.’ In 1948, that share was 37 percent, and it rose steadily for four decades but has remained roughly stable since the mid-1990s.” (Gonchar) The term “assisted suicide” used in defining the act of helping a patient end their life on their terms is wrong and should not be used to qualify such act because terminally ill patients also have the right not to suffer through unbearable pain that has no end. The term “physician –assisted suicide” was formally used before the passage of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act in …show more content…
Starks, Dudzinski and White also states that “the Hippocratic Oath states, ‘I will not administer poison to anyone where asked,’ and I will ‘be of benefit, or at least do no harm.’” The oath was formed so patients can easily be at ease knowing that doctors intentions were only to help and not hurt them, thus a fading of that oath could cause patients to doubt. Thus, it directly oppose to the long-established duty of the physician to save life and not to harm …show more content…
For instance there may be uncertainty in diagnosis and prognosis. Messerli states that “First of all, doctors make mistakes just like any other people. A wrong diagnosis could lead to the suicide of a savable person. Second, doctors have the ability to play God and decide who they encourage or discourage on the prospects of recovery.” For example, errors may occur in diagnosis and treatment of depression, or too little treatment of pain. A doctor might believe that there is too much of a shortage in medical staff and resources to give extra time and money into elderly people and, he may always think towards the side of "no hope" when the odds of them surviving are

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