The right to live even in an 'impoverished existence'

This letter was sent to ST Forum but was not published.

Dr Venkatachalam seemed to be appealing to the idea of euthanasia when he questioned if it is humane to sustain life at all costs. ("Is it humane to sustain life at all costs?"; 28 August)

The right to life has been consistently guaranteed under international human rights law. Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. Likewise, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights stipulates under Article 6(1) that every human being has the inherent right to life.  This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.

The Singapore Constitution provides under Article 9(1) that no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty save in accordance with law. The right to life logically justifies the prohibition of euthanasia or assisted suicide. These prohibitions are often contained in laws against murder or specific legislation prohibiting various offences against life.

Under the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) Physician's Pledge, a doctor pledges to "maintain due respect for human life". The Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines expect a doctor to be "an advocate for patients’ care and well being and endeavour to ensure that patients suffer no harm". It is therefore no surprise that, for example, it was unequivocally stated in 1995 that "the Ministry of Health, the [National Medical Ethics Committee] and the medical profession in general are all opposed to euthanasia".

In countries where Euthanasia and assisted suicide are legal, there are abuses with under-reporting and done without explicit request. 

Conscious of the reality of abuse, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon noted in his lecture on Euthanasia before the Singapore Medical Association in March 2013: These concerns are not to be dismissed as patently fanciful. One study suggests that whereas legal restrictions and safeguards have been enacted wherever euthanasia or assisted suicide has been legalised, these have been “regularly ignored and transgressed” often without prosecution... 

Dr Venkatachalam does not even believe that 'the ability to digest, defecate, mount a fever or even breathe on one's own necessarily means that an existence is to be continued indefinitely at great human and/or financial cost'. Can the value of life be measured through money or through one's subjective opinions, especially from a doctor? 

True compassion is to uphold the fundamental right to life of every individual, in sickness or in health. We have no right to determine the value of another person's life.