South Korea to allow euthanasia

Pakistan News.Net
Friday 28th November, 2008

A South Korean court has given the go-ahead for a request for euthanasia.

It will be the first time in South Korea that a court has been convinced it should take someone off life support at the family’s request.

A Seoul District Court has ordered feeding and ventilator tubes to be removed from a 75-year-old brain dead woman, after being told by doctors she has no chance of recovery.

The landmark ruling has rekindled debate on euthanasia in South Korea, as current laws ban any form of assisted suicide, seeing it instead as murder.

In 2004 a family was convicted of murder for removing life support systems from a brain-dead relative.

A doctor was charged with aiding them.

In 2007, a father was given a four-year suspended jail term for the removal of a respirator from his brain-dead son.

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Comments on this story

Pollywolly
11-28-08, 06:17 AM

South Korea to allow euthanasia

Please do not confuse a decision to withdraw or withhold treatment where it is clearly “futile or unduly burdensome” with euthanasia.

The key lies in the intention. If the treatment is withheld/withdrawn and the patient survives, is the strategy seen as having failed? If so, then the intention was to kill and that would be attempted euthanasia. But if survival without life support is welcomed then the strategy was not a form of euthanasia.

Pollywolly
11-28-08, 06:55 AM

May I retract?

I am so sorry. I should have read your report more carefully. I had not at first appreciated that the poor lady is to be denied nutrition and hydration. That is clearly morally wrong since nutrition and hydration are always part of basic care (whether or not medical assistance is required for its provision) as it is required to maintain comfort. Normal medical protocols maintain that basic care should never be withdrawn. This is a very distressing decision.

dlbatt
11-28-08, 11:11 PM

euthanasia

Now let the rest of us follow their lead.

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