Should euthanasia be legalised in South Africa?
No one would like to see their loved one suffering from pain - especially when their loved one is terminally ill. But when it comes to saving them from their illnesses, should we be given the right to choose to end their life on behalf of them?
It's a difficult one though because sometimes the patient isn't able to ask for help and the decision is taken by the family to switch off life support. But in South Africa, you need to have the correct documentation lodged with the doctor and family or friends before this can happen.
A doctor’s duty is to preserve life, and in this day and age, it's now possible to keep a patient alive for longer after the quality of life has gone.
A draft bill on the ending of life was put to Parliament in the late 1990s, but there are no signs that it will be passed into law soon, so South Africa still has no legislation regarding euthanasia.
Read: SA not ‘educated enough’ for euthanasia
The South African Constitution allows a woman to decide if she wants to terminate a pregnancy, so why, you may ask, can we not decide then if we'd want to end the life of someone who's terminally ill?
I've been in the position where I've been at the bedside of both my mom and dad as they passed away. Both slipped away peacefully, but watching them battle in their last days is something that I'll never forget. I'm sure if euthanasia was permitted, they would have asked to go without any pain or suffering.
So if euthanasia was allowed in South Africa, if your mom, dad or partner was in serious pain and they asked you to let them go, would you have the courage to do so?
Also read: Emotional moment dog says final goodbye to dying owner