MANAMA: The medical community and lawmakers are at loggerheads regarding a controversial bill, which imposes tough penalties that include capital punishment on doctors who approve and practice euthanasia.
The bill is being debated at a time when doctors are planning to gradually introduce euthanasia in special cases.
“Mercy killing can take place in an Islamic society. This can be classified into two parts: Active and passive. The former means giving patients something to end their lives while the latter is letting the patient go especially in brain dead cases or kept alive on ventilators,” said Dr. Wafa Al-Sharbati, a family physician.
The bill, termed as the medical responsibility law, has been approved by MPs and is being sent to the government to be drafted as a law. The doctor who is also board member of the Bahrain Medical Society (BMS) said in her opinion patients should go in peace rather than suffering everyday.
“No doctor would want to consciously take the lives of patients. Even as Muslims this is not acceptable. But the need of the hour is for consultants and religious figures to reach a conclusion to approve mercy killing only in special cases,” Al-Sharbati said.
The doctor said they faced a daunting task to introduce passive mercy killing despite public being informed about the subject.
“If there is a patient who is brain dead and another patient who can be treated to lead a normal life, the latter is our priority,” said Al-Sharbati.
In many countries, euthanasia is permitted (with prior consent of the patient or, excepting that, the permission of the next of kin) for brain-dead patients whose bodies are being kept alive artificially through technology. On the other hand, assisting in the suicide of comatose patients or the terminally ill is illegal in most countries.
The bill consists of six chapters highlighting the duties of physicians and ordering the formation of a committee to look into medical negligence cases. The bill also forbids doctors to treat patients against their wishes, except in emergency cases such life threatening or contagious diseases.
