Gabe Menezes wrote: [1] Life can be prolonged only so much! When it's time to go, it's time to go. Sometimes prolonging of life makes no sense.
[2] Here in Britain, Clinicians CAN withhold medical treatment or remove the ventilator - these same actions might be termed Euthanasia in India? COMMENT: If one is not careful, one just might get the impression (from Gabe's post) that in Britain, doctors "CAN withhold medical treatment or remove the ventilator". It is worth remembering that the days of Medical Paternalism are over. I am going to suggest that UK doctors CANNOT do this - without several provisos and proceedings - including a valid Advance Directive from the patient. The decision-making power is NOT in the hands of the doctor....but in the hands of the patient (and in some cases e.g. The 1993 Anthony Bland case, the courts). BTW: Euthanasia is NOT legal either in India or in the UK. (Please search for the case of Diane Pretty) Please also visit the Shipman horror story to understand why 'officialdom' is so wary of what doctors CAN and CANNOT do.....and what they are COVERED (not held liable) to do under certain conditions. If I understood Dan's post correctly, it wasn't about 'prolonging life' with futile care, but about how physicians (and others) deal humanely and reasonably with "the patient". jc
