Original scientific paper
Euthanasia and Situations of Dying
Dragutin Novaković
; Faculty of Medicine, Zagreb
Abstract
The study on euthanasia and situations of dying were carried out in 1989 on a sample of 2281 nurses and physicians. The examinees mere followed up as to their sex, social background, education, religion and work place (intensive or non-intensive care). All medical personnel consider euthanasia as murder. Even if euthanasia were to be permitted they would not participate in it or bring any decisions. At the same time in 1988 and 1989, another study was carried out on situations of dying in hospitals, in intensive and non-intensive care units in all Croatian towns which nave hospital care. The study dealt with the problems of dying, observing dying patients, soothing terrible pain. How are our fellow citizens dying? How does dying affect medical personnel? Significant differences were noticed between the dying of younger and older people, more and less know persons, rich and poor. What has happened with dying and death in the last fifty years? Who are the new thanatocrates? To die was always hard, regardless of the culture and civilization, of time and place. At the moment of dying we are all panicky frightened, whether we show it or not. In the last thirty years a new science has appeared - thanatology, which tries to study dying and death. Can death be tamed, made acceptable? Have we accepted the assumption that life is eternal or that a new metaphysics of life is being born?
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
155265
URI
Publication date:
30.6.1990.
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