THE RIGHT TO DIE

Sir, - Dr Leahy is correct in stating that the Ward of Court case was a case of euthanasia

Sir, - Dr Leahy is correct in stating that the Ward of Court case was a case of euthanasia. It was not, however, a case of "a person's right to die". The Ward was reportedly unable to express her wishes on the matter. It was a case of others making the vital decision for her.

One must always be uneasy if anyone makes life and death decisions for others, no matter how compassionate they consider that decision to be. It is acting God and the caring professions have, quite rightly, drawn up a code of ethics to determine where the boundaries lie. From the time of Hippocrates, civilised medicine was geared towards treating the patient; when the boundary is crossed, we are on a very slippery slope indeed.

There are vital ethical principles involved which go far beyond the specific case being discussed. What is happening in Holland is a stark warning sign. If euthanasia were to become a feature of life (or death), one need not be a prophet to imagine the pressures placed on relatives or on the patient.

The cost of treatment itself could pressure relatives or institutions into terminating lives which to them appear no longer meaningful. Sometimes, too, the existence of a large inheritance may further pressurise the next of kin. That was not a feature of this case, but undoubtedly it arises in many cases of chronically ill patients. - Yours, etc.,

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