I read this is Times Of India and wanted to share it with everyone.
Bombay (9th May 2006): Offers to help the distressed Dharavi family started pouring in after TOI reported Mukhtar Ahmed Shaikh's plight. He had filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking permission for euthanasia for the whole family as he was unable to afford treatment for two of his children suffering from limb-girdle muscular dystrophy.
Bombay (9th May 2006): Offers to help the distressed Dharavi family started pouring in after TOI reported Mukhtar Ahmed Shaikh's plight. He had filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking permission for euthanasia for the whole family as he was unable to afford treatment for two of his children suffering from limb-girdle muscular dystrophy.
The Hari Om Donor's Club was the first to visit Shaikh on Tuesday. Club representative Vijay Nagarth offered monthly aid of Rs 1,500 for Mehfooz and Khurshida (the two children). "We help several such families and want to ensure the money reaches the right hands," Nagarth said.
Former Sion Hospital dean and director of NGO Sneha Amrita Fernandez offered medical assistance to the family. Dharavi Ulema Council president Maulana Mohammed Yunus Habibi announced financial help for the family at the local mosque. Director of TCI Telenet Solution Poonam Agarwal promised to visit the family on Wednesday.
Activist Bala Subramanian of the Mutually Beneficial Activities Foundation (MBAF) offered to help Mehfooz and Khurshida with occupational therapy: "Our organisation is working on rehabilitating disabled adults." Dharavi police station senior inspector Prakash George, who was flooded with inquiries about the Shaikh family, also offered financial help in a sealed envelope. Several businessmen like Givarchand Jogani, Haji Mustaquim and Mohammad Akram came forward to sympathise and promised help.
I think where population is increasing everyday, where people are dying of hunger just like that, where the money can be used to build roads for the progress of the nation we can allow mercy killings. But that would mean we have become more powerful than god and we decide who has the right to live and who has the right to die.
I dont know I am confused. This is a very ticky question. Should a person who is worthless (sory for using this word here) to the society and can never ever work in his life be allowed to die? Would this bed on which this guy is sleeping like a log since so many days be used for a petient who has hope to live?
On one side I can say India needs hospital beds, medicines, salary of nurse to take care of the dying and on the other hand we might be spending tons of rupees when we know this guy is never going to walk on his feet.
But above all I think mercy killings should never be allowed for these two reasons. (Ok I am confused but let me complete)
1. We are not god. Let him decide when we should leave earth and go to heaven or hell. And lets live the way he has decided us to live this life.
2. Would you ever leave your son to die just like that? Would you ever leave you mom die just like that? You would be having 1 % chance but you would say "Doctor there is still hope and dont let my mom die" Thats what is called humanity and makes us different from aniumals. Infact animals also never leave their loved ones to die.
So give everyone a chance to live and pray for Mukhtar Ahmed's kids.
V...
14 comments:
i agree with u that it shud b allowed... and also not allowed... both cuz even me confused...
its true that mercy killing can b considered as an option whn money can b put to better use elsewhr, but how wud the family feel on losing their loved one? how wud they feel not seeing their loved one walk around the house? talk?
but lets think frm the point of view of the dying man also here... u think does he want to live like that? with lots of tubes running thru his body, the pain he goes thru everyday with injections etc and the ordeal of doing everyday activities etc?? no seriously, of course the family might want him to live, but wot abt the dying guy?? wudnt it b a case of hoping against hope?
and i want to put in my 2 cents on ur points:
//1. We are not god. Let him decide when we should leave earth and go to heaven or hell. And lets live the way he has decided us to live this life.
yes we r not; but so wasnt pravin mahajan; he killed his own brother! mayb whn he did so, it was his own moronic insanity that led him to do it... whn Krishna sent Karna to Earth, he sent him as Kunti's son, expecting him to be on good side. Lekin hua kya, he joined the "adharm" side and turned against his own brothers. Ok my point is, God doesnt tell us how to live, he only gives us the ability to do so - its our choice whether we do the right thing or the wrong one.
//2. Would you ever leave your son to die just like that? Would you ever leave you mom die just like that? You would be having 1 % chance but you would say "Doctor there is still hope and dont let my mom die" Thats what is called humanity and makes us different from aniumals. Infact animals also never leave their loved ones to die.
again yes. no one wud ever want to tell the doc ok go ahead take him off the ventilator... but wot is the dying man going thru?? even if my mom sneezes i feel horrible... n i'm sure every son/daughter feels the same... so also wit parents... wud u want them to suffer?? no na??
i dunno re... sachhi... i thot mercy killing shud b allowed... but now i really m confused...
bahut deep meaning (and consequences) ka post hai re... sochne pe majboor kar diya....
mercy killing should be allowed on the will of patient, family memebers and group of jury. Okie i can understand emotional attachment..but think of people who cant spend tht much money on treatment of one family member for whom hope is only 1 % on expense of other family members..its there decision.
I don't think we have the right to kill anyone no matter what so I would say- Mercy killings should not be allowed
I think mercy killing should be allowed ONLY in extreme cases where there's no hope at all for the patient and when the patient him/her-self wants to die. But then, it's very very rare that there's no hope whatsoever for someone.
Otherwise, like you said, we as normal humans don't have this right to decide who should live and who shouldn't. That's my opinion in case of death penalty too. To me, that's equally inhumane.
Mercy killing, if allowed, would be a sort of sanctioned murder. Yeah, India needs money for roads, progress and all that jazz but in the end, who's to benefit from them? WE, the people...and if we're gonna be killed off one by one under the pretext of mercy killing, then, that's a sorry state. In that case, billions of people in India could be killed just because they're poor or ill or both. I guess it's just another excuse sort of thing. Just because a person can't walk, talk or something doesn't mean that we should be allowed to put him to death. There are millions of mentally and physically disabled people in this world who cannot talk, walk or think properly but in no way does that imply that they should be killed by saying that it's mercy killing.
And I don't really think anyone's worthless. I mean, every person has his/her worth, no matter how little. And an ill person IS important or dear to someone or the other and that itself shows that he/she isn't worthless.
Would you ever leave your son to die just like that? Would you ever leave you mom die just like that? You would be having 1 % chance but you would say "Doctor there is still hope and dont let my mom die"
Exactly. Why do so many people refuse to put their pets to rest? That's also because they love them, they're attached to them. If people can be so passionate about animals, I think family members or friends are much more precious then.
Uhhh...kitna bol diya maine. Weird. Interesting post, anyway.
Trups>> Confused aa?? yes aaa??
on a serious note... lets never talk about praveen mahajan... he is an asshole... by killing his brother he screwed up his family and his brother's family... and i believe he is a sick man thats why he should not be let loose in the society and should be kept behind bars...
and about Karna and Kunti I would say the pandavas never respected him and never brought froward the hand of friendship... Duryodhana brought forward that hand when these Panadava and Kauravas and Karna first met... So Karna was just giving respect to Duryodhana's friendship...
and i still think that a person who can take a decision whether he should live or die is capabale enough putting fight and get up from dying bed... Thats why I loved Munna Bhai MBBS... But yes life is not a bollywood movie...
Pratika Gupta>> Arre baba... 1 % hope is still hope... Every year more than 2 lac students give CAT and some 1000 get through... in that way the percentage is still low... iska matlab shall we stop giving CAT??? Nahi na?? ok bad comparison but lets all think that hope is there and put a small effort to save his/her life everyday... May be 3 months down the line that guy would start running... Excellent case is Lance Armstrong...
Chweety>> Hmmmm... may be... I dont want to be that human boss... I mean doctors cant kill because they have taken oath to save human lives... or can they?? so it has to be some civilian... I dont want to be that boss...
Kroopa>> :-) yes no mercy killings... Infact Trups even says that no one should ever die... When it is time to leave we should just pack bags and leave... like just leave... Not die...
The Girl>> Bhagwaaaanann Itna Lamba comment??
I think mercy killing should be allowed ONLY in extreme cases where there's no hope at all for the patient and when the patient him/her-self wants to die. But then, it's very very rare that there's no hope whatsoever for someone.
good... iska matlab no killings... Period... Full stop.. Thats it...
There are millions of mentally and physically disabled people in this world who cannot talk, walk or think properly but in no way does that imply that they should be killed by saying that it's mercy killing.
Exactly...
V...
Virdi, I would say mercy killing should be allowed, but again, very carefully and on a case-to-case basis because at times death appears as a solace to the sufferings. I have seen this myself in many cases - one being that of my grandmom, who was close to 90, had bed sore, stroke and therefore lost mobility and speech. She was dependent on somebody for everything. This happened to a person who was, before her ailment, so active, kept herself busy all the time and was a very versatile person. Not necessarily from a viewer's perspective but imagine what would've she felt about herself at her plight? Definitely death, here, would've been a blessing. So at times, death itself becomes a cure!
Virdi, also I can't seem to accept your point about acting as "God" on mercy killing. If we were to allow it to God, then why would be want to improve on healthcare? why not leave an ailing person to God's will as well? Give it a thought. I am not saying, a person suffers, put him/her to sleep but analyze what he/she is going thru!
Hi Virdi,
No doubt the question that you raise is a very complex questions. On one hand are our religious mores that tell us not to play god. On the other, you see a persons suffering and wish that a human being did not have to suffer so much. But then again...I believe that the final decision of whether or not to be should be left to the person. We, for example psychologists, doctors, should definitely try our hardest to help the person see the value of their life...but the final decision still rests with them. I for one believe very strongly that when we ask the question of what is the purpose of my life...we are asking the wrong question. Life itself always asks us the question of what the meaning and purpose of our lives will be and we can answer that question only through our acting upon life (this comes from Logotherapy by Viktor Frankl). I have used this to work with my patients and it has produced excellent results. Just because a person is terminally ill..does it mean that their life ceases to have a purpose and a meaning? Do we as a society assign purpose and worth? Is it not upto the person to assign that to their lives? If the person is unable to..I believe that it is upto the society to make an honest effort to show the person the meaning and value of her life. Anyway..thats my 2 piece for you...:). I enjoy reading your blog.
Well I agree its hard to decide on Euthanasia or Mercy Killing.....but think for a person who has no resources, no hopes to survive and endless pain to bear and top that his kins instead of using their scarce funds for better survival end up using it on things like treatment n medicines. I guess these are the things which provoke such ideas. Its not I am in favor of Euthanasia but certain things or points which make my opposition to this idea even very weak. I think instead of banning it altogether why make it a case to case basis. Also this brings out another fact that no matter our sensex is jumpng heights like sergei bubka n we r touted to be another superpower, we r still much behind when it comes to things like education for all n best medical facilities being made available to everybody irrespective of economic condition of the person.
i can't sleep
Bhavdeep: Inte deep bhav???
Its like trups, and you hve already said, am confused, neither would i want a dear one to suffer, nor would I let him/her give up, it all depends on a case by case situation I feel.
Hmm,
But think of a person having malignant bone cancer which cant be cured. Mind it that bone cancer is very very painful.The patient cant even lie down properly.The pain is too excrutiating and treatment is more tortorus.What if life is worst than death?
Also consider case of a female which was in lime light few years back. I dont remember the country and name.The case was like this. Female had a paralytic stroke and had lost all the kinds of sensation hearing,taste,touch,Vision,pain etc etc. She was bed ridden for 15 years without any display of mife. Much alike that guy in Munnabhai MBBS.She was on medicinal diet which was sent through tubes directly to her veins.This was for last 15 years.Her husband applied for mercy killing then.There was lot of debate on it. I dont remember the verdict.
In both the above cases if I would have been the patient would have preferred to die.
Again its the same thing what world sales female told...should be allowed in extreme conditions....the problem is to decide what is extereme conditions in this fast pace medicinal world?
then your reply about it...
uff kahani khatam.
regards
PS: yaar yeh word verification se kya hota hai yaar.
Ravi>> My garnd mom died when she was 105... she was so old that she could not see and her hearing was also very bad... But hwo can we allow her to die... Let nature take its own toll... Let her die the way she is destined to die...
If we were to allow it to God, then why would be want to improve on healthcare? why not leave an ailing person to God's will as well? Give it a thought.
I wish I could do something... I seriously wish...
I am not saying, a person suffers, put him/her to sleep but analyze what he/she is going thru!
Boss analyse and do what??? Its like my ex boss... He used to say "think out of the box!!" Ok bastard I am thinking out of the box... Now what shall I do will you tell me that also???
The Freak Show>> You wrote something really really awesome... Really Awesome!!!
I for one believe very strongly that when we ask the question of what is the purpose of my life... we are asking the wrong question. Life itself always asks us the question of what the meaning and purpose of our lives will be and we can answer that question only through our acting upon life
On a lighter note... Aacha line bola likh leta hoon...
Somya>> Bingo!!!! Thsi is what i also meant...
Also this brings out another fact that no matter our sensex is jumpng heights like sergei bubka n we r touted to be another superpower, we r still much behind when it comes to things like education for all n best medical facilities being made available to everybody irrespective of economic condition of the person.
So there is a decision we have to take... We as in the Goverenment and Indians as whole... Should we say "ok the country is progressing and we let it progress and after few years when we become super power we will take care of health and sanitation and basic amminities... Or we need to take care of the basic things first and then take care of the progeress... There is a choice we have to make... And if we dont act soon, time will not wait for our kids...
Another thing i want to say is... India can save a lot of money if such a kind of people are allowed to die... But what the asshole Indian politician are going to do is fill their pockets with the money saved and if it is USA they are going to manufacture guns and bombs which they can throw on Sudan, Iraq, Vietnam...
Kusum>> Kyun soochne pe majboor kar diya na?? Dekha mera dimag ka power??
Abhishek>> You were refering to some lady whose parents didnt allow her to die and her husband asked for euthenesia... The doctors were feeding her thru the tube in her throat... Well it happened in the state of Texas in USA... Thats a fuck all country and the state's governor is another asshole Bush... So lets not consider this to be an example...
anyways i hope no one gets pain... dies in one jhatka...
V...
Anon>> Sorry forgot you among all the loooooong comments...
But boss why cant you sleep??? Try reading a book at 10 PM... Sleep kya uska baap will also come... or rather read the news paper... and drink a big glass of milk before hitting the bed.....
Bhhhrrrrrrrrppppppp!!! Sorry that was juice...
V...
We just cant say that mercy killing should be allowed in one word..
It requires consideration from all angles.
If that person has no hopes to live and cant manage to afford the medical expenses also, then may be mercy killing is a way. If that person\'s relatives cannot bear to that person in coma for the rest of his life and cant afford.. then is there a better way out??
But one thing is for sure.. it is such a pain to know that someone you love dearly is not dead in a natural way, but euthanized... this pain will never subside and make you feel guilty for the rest of your life.. *Senti Me*
Oops.. lost the handle... back now...:)
Is maamle mein confusion to rahega hi naa...
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