Abstract
The advent of advanced medical technology and its ability to prolong living and dying has, together with greater patient autonomy, inspired increasing awareness of euthanasia and assisted death. Doctors confronted by distressed patients seeking treatments, which may be construed as euthanasia, can experience a profound moral dilemma that emanates from the conflict between their ethical duty to relieve suffering, and the responsibilities imposed upon them by the law. Respect for individual autonomy is central to modem medical practice; but the absolute endorsement of the patient’s right to autonomy at the end of life may compromise the clinician’s professional and ethical integrity. This paper details the uneasy equilibrium between the rights of patients and the responsibilities of doctors at the end of life.
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