Legalising euthanasia

I returned from the Christmas break in Germany wondering whether I had seen my grandfather for the last time. He has a terminal illness and is deteriorating. During the holidays I visited him a great deal. I suspected that his prognosis was poor, so I tried to prepare myself for the worst. I was still shocked, however, not by his appearance, or by the news from the doctors but by what he said to me. He told me he had had a good life but would rather end his life than go on as he is and that the doctors should help to end his suffering. Euthanasia had never been discussed in our family. I did not know what to say so I said nothing.

Once off the train, my thoughts turn to the new term ahead. It is Monday morning, 8 am, and the teaching ward round is about to start. Again, I am faced with patients who are in pain and whose health is deteriorating rapidly. On other days I find it relatively easy not to get too emotionally involved with terminally ill patients, but this time it proves difficult. I can hear my grandfather's words. I feel I want to discuss this issue with another student or doctor, but I am afraid that I might shock my colleagues when mentioning the word euthanasia. No, it is not a swear word nor the description of a complicated chemical process. It literally means “good death” and is best defined as “the intentional shortening of a patient's life at the patient's explicit request.”