No voice
It is shameful that the United Nations has miserably failed in trying to stop ongoing wars (Page 1, “Israeli forces send tanks to Rafah, seize crossing”, May 8). The name of the organisation seems to be far removed from common consciousness. It is in times such as these when the effectiveness of such institutions is tested.
Balagopal Gopinath,
Keerikkad, Alappuzha, Kerala
The international community (including Israel’s allies) must pressure Tel Aviv not to endanger the lives of innocent civilians. The U.S. must coordinate its words and actions.
Bhargava Reddy,
Prakasam, Andhra Pradesh
Living will
The living will proposal has a purpose (Editorial page, May 8), but my perspective stems from the standpoint of a son who recently lost his father after a painful ordeal in the ICU.
My father was critically ill for nearly a month before his passing, spending the final days of his lifetime confined to the ICU for about 10 days. During that period, the medical professionals advised us to consider moving him to palliative care; however, our hearts couldn’t reconcile with the notion.
As grieving family members, we were determined to exhaust every avenue of treatment for our beloved father. For us, opting for palliative care was equal to abandoning him and prioritizing financial concerns over his life.
We decided to pursue every possible treatment option even if it meant bearing the exorbitant costs associated with the ICU stays. Witnessing him in the ICU attached to the wires, surrounded by monitors was a heart-wrenching experience. Yet, the mere thought of relinquishing hope prematurely was unimaginable to us.
While I acknowledge the importance of individual autonomy in end-of-life treatments, I cannot disregard the instincts of families to pursue what they perceive as the best possible treatment for their loved ones.
When an illness strikes, it is often the family members who are best equipped to make informed decisions on behalf of their loved ones. Imposing mandates or adopting a one-size-fits-all approach will disregard the emotions and sentiments of the family members, leaving lasting scars on their hearts.
Allan Joshua E.,
Coimbatore
