After 13 years of living in a vegetative state, Harish Rana died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi. His long legal battle threw light on the country's euthanasia framework and played an important role in igniting conversations about dying with dignity.
Harish Rana has remained in a coma since 2013 after an unfortunate fall from the fourth floor of a building that caused a traumatic brain injury. The Supreme Court, in a landmark judgement, allowed the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment for the 32-year-old, sparking debates and discussions around the medical procedure called 'euthanasia'. Many termed the procedure as 'passive euthanasia'. But is the phrasing correct?
As per Vidhi Center for Legal Policy, it is an incorrect phrasing and mentioned that the Court in Harish Rana v Union of India held that the appropriate term to use instead is 'withdrawing or withholding of medical treatment'.
Passive euthanasia, a term recognised by the ICMR and the SC, is an obsolete term and the usage of the term should be avoided as there is no intention to kill, as per the Center.
From a healthcare standpoint, physicians are trained to preserve life, but they are also responsible for minimising suffering of their patients. While it is their duty to act in the best interests of their patients, it may not always mean preserving life at any cost.
In cases like Harish Rana, where medical treatment is only delaying death and costs the dignity of the patient, doctors have the responsibility to withhold or withdraw medical treatment in accordance with the Court's guidelines.
Is it permissible to stop providing food and water?
As per the Center, food and water, when provided through medical techniques like feeding that require the expertise of doctors, are considered medical treatment and not primary care. This is also known as 'clinically assisted nutrition and hydration'. This can be withheld/withdrawn just like other life-sustaining interventions, provided it is in the best interests of the patient.
Even while withholding/withdrawing medical treatment, patients will still receive the necessary palliative and end-of-life care. The focus will be on relieving pain, managing symptoms and ensuring their dignity.