Uncedo Kwabo Bafayo Kwisizukulwana Sethu

IBHINQA elithile, elingugqirhakazi laba nawona mava abuhlungu. Labukela uninakhulu oneminyaka engama-94 esifa esibhedlele kwigumbi lokunyamekela abantu abagula kakhulu emva kotyando lomhlaza “awayengalufuni.”

Lo gqirhakazi wabhala oku: “Emngcwabeni wakhe ndandingaliliswa kukufa kwakhe, kuba umakhulu wayephile ubomi obude, obupheleleyo. Ndandililiswa kukucinga ngeengqaqambo awazinyamezelayo, nakukungazalisekiswa kweminqweno yakhe. Ndandililiswa kukucinga ngomama wam noodade nabantakwabo, ngenxa yemvakalelo yokulahlekelwa neyonxunguphalo ababenayo.”

Noko ke, usenokuzibuza ngento enokwenziwa ukunceda umntu onjalo ogulel’ ukufa. Lo gqirhakazi uhlabela mgama esithi:

“Ubukhulu becala, ndandililiswa nakukucinga ngesiqu sam: imvakalelo yokuba netyala eyayindongamele ngokungakwazi ukumsindisa kwiingqaqambo nokuthotywa isidima, nokusilela okugqithiseleyo kwam njengogqirha, ukungakwazi ukunyanga, ukungakwazi ukukhulula kwiintlungu. Kuba ngexesha endandiqeqeshwa andizange ndifundiswe nanini na ukwamkela ukufa okanye umntu ofayo. Ukugula kwakulutshaba​—⁠ekwakufuneka kuliwe nalo ngamaxesha onke, ngayo nantoni na enokufumaneka. Ukufa kwakuthetha ukoyiswa, ukatyo; isifo esizingisileyo sasisisikhumbuzo esizingisileyo sokungabi luncedo kukagqirha. Umbono kamakhulu wam owayengenasiqu endithe ntsho ngamehlo anoloyiko ngoxa wayekwisixhobo sokukhupha nokungenisa umoya kwigumbi lokunyamekela abantu abagula kakhulu usandikhathaza nanamhlanje.”

Lo mzukulwana unothando ucacisa umbandela obalulekileyo nontsonkothileyo womthetho wezamayeza oxoxwayo ngoku ezinkundleni nasezibhedlele emhlabeni wonke: Yintoni eyona nto ilungileyo ngabagulel’ ukufa kula maxesha ethu ahambele phambili kwezobugcisa?

Bambi banembono yokuba yonke into enokwenziwa kwezonyango ifanele yenziwe kumntu ngamnye ogulayo. Le mbono ichazwe nguMbutho WooGqirha baseMerika (Association of American Physicians and Surgeons) ngokuthi: “Imfanelo kagqirha kumntu okwicoma (ukungabikho zingqondweni) kumntu ongakwazi kuzenzela nto, okanye umguli olimeleyo ngokwasengqondweni ayixhomekekanga kwithemba lokuphinda abuyele empilweni. Ugqirha ufanele asoloko esebenzela impilo-ntle yomguli.” Oku kuthetha ukunikela lonke unyango okanye uncedo lwezamayeza olunokusetyenziswa. Ngaba uvakalelwa kukuba oku kusoloko kukokona kulungileyo kumntu ogulel’ ukufa?

Kubantu abaninzi elo nyathelo ngokuqinisekileyo liyancomeka. Kanti, kumashumi eminyaka ambalwa adluleyo, amava kunye nobugcisa obuhambele phambili bezamayeza buye babalaselisa imbono entsha neyahlukileyo. Kwiphephandaba lowe-1984 elineziganeko ezibalulekileyo elinomxholo othi “The Physician’s Responsibility Toward Hopelessly Ill Patients” (IMbopheleleko Kagqirha Kubaguli Abagulel’ Ukufa) oogqirha abalishumi abanamava bagqiba kwelokuba: “Kucebiseka ukuba kuncitshiswe umgudu ongamandla wonyango kubaguli abagulel’ ukufa xa unyango olunjalo luya kwandisa kuphela inkqubo enzima nebuhlungu yokufa.” Kwiminyaka emihlanu kamva aba gqirha bapapasha inqaku elalinomxholo ofanayo owawusithi “A Second Look” (Uhlolisiso Lwesibini). Beqwalasela iingxaki ekwanye, banikela ingxelo ecace ngakumbi besithi: “Ngoko ke, oogqirha abaninzi nezazi ngemigaqo yezonyango . . . baye bagqiba kwelokuba kuyinto efanelekileyo ngokwemithetho yezonyango ukuyeka ukubondla nokubaseza abanye abaguli abafayo, abagulel’ ukufa okanye abangekho zingqondweni ngokusisigxina.”

Asinakuwakhupha ezingqondweni amagqabaza anjalo njengayinkcazelo nje eqhelekileyo okanye njengengxoxo nje engasichaphazeli kangako. AmaKristu amaninzi aye ajamelana nezigqibo ezinzima kulo mbandela. Ngaba othandekayo ogulel’ ukufa ufanele agcinwe ephilile kumatshini wokuncedisa ukuphefumla? Ngaba ukutyiswa ngemibhobho okanye ezinye iindlela zokutyisa ezingezizo ezokwemvelo zifanele zisetyenziswe kumguli ogulel’ ukufa? Xa imeko inganik’ ithemba, ngaba imali yesalamane, okanye yentsapho iphela, ifanele isetyenziselwe ukuhlawulela unyango, mhlawumbi kuquka nemali yento yokuhamba ukuya kwiziko lezonyango elikude ukuze kufumaneke olona nyango luhambele phambili?

Ngokungathandabuzekiyo uyaqonda ukuba imibuzo enjalo akulula ukuyiphendula. Nangona ubungafuna ukunceda umhlobo wakho okanye othandekayo wakho, ukuba bekuya kufuneka ujamelane nale mibuzo ubusenokuzibuza uthi: ‘Luluphi ulwalathiso amaKristu analo? Luluphi uncedo olufumanekayo? Okona kubalulekileyo, zithini iZibhalo ngalo mbandela?’