Lucy
Apr 17, 2018

When Euthanasia becomes a blessing to the health system

1 comment

One of Australia's states recently legalised voluntary euthanasia. The campaign for euthanasia was centered around the right to die with dignity and the ability to choose ones time, but what was not discussed was the pressure it would take of the healthcare system. All Australians are a member of Medicare and receive free healthcare for their entire lives. This means that the ageing population will put significant stress on the health system, as in 2013-14 persons over 65 accounted for 41% of same day hospitalisations and 39% of overnight hospitalisations. Thats not including the elderly who spend months at a time in hospital for serious treatments.

Although there are many moral issues that surround euthanasia, an increase in the mortality rate of terminally ill elders may benefit Australia's health system, as awful as the idea is.

Felicity Wong
Nov 22, 2018

Hi,

 

I find it terrifying that people are able to use such a "practical" metric to justify something I personally believe is so wrong. I think that the benefits that the Australian government may be looking at are purely utilitarian. There are a lot of things humans do that are not "beneficial" to people, but we do them because we are right.

 

Why do you think euthanasia has become more popular and prevalent recently? How did this 'right to die' movement evolve? What do you think the future of this movement will look like?

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