Passive euthanasia is the intentional act of letting a patient die by withholding or withdrawing life support or the treatment necessary to keep him alive.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its judgment on a plea filed by the father of a 31-year-old man, lying in a comatose condition for nearly 13 years, seeking passive euthanasia for his son by withdrawing his artificial life support.
The man, Harish Rana, suffered head injuries after falling from the fourth floor of a building in 2013. He has been on an artificial support system for nearly 13 years now. A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan heard submissions from Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Union government, and advocate Rashmi Nandakumar, representing the father, Ashok Rana, for almost an-hour.
Passive euthanasia is the intentional act of letting a patient die by withholding or withdrawing life support or the treatment necessary to keep him alive.
During the hearing, the bench highlighted the importance of the family taking a “consistent and well-considered” decision.
The counsel for the petitioner submitted that hospitals should nominate doctors who would be part of medical boards assigned to undertake the medical examinations in cases where family members have come forward with a wish to withdraw life support.
Nandakumar also requested the court not to use the term “passive euthanasia” and instead use “withdrawing/withholding life-sustaining treatment” in its judgment.
On January 13, the top court judges personally met Rana’s parents and his younger brother, who said they did not want him to suffer anymore.