Ending misery

The supreme court’s ruling on Monday has brought some clarity to the issues involved in the idea of euthanasia which has for long been a subject of controversy. It will also serve as a basis for debate in the coming days. It is no surprise that the court has rejected the plea for mercy killing of Aruna Shanbaug who is in coma in a Mumbai hospital for the last 37 years. She is in a vegetative state and there is no hope of her recovery. But at present there is no law in the country to allow termination of life of a person who is in such a bad condition. The court’s rejection of the request in her case was based on that. But it has made a distinction between ‘active’ euthanasia which involves medical action to terminate the life of person who is in vegetative state and has no hope of return to life and ‘passive’ euthanasia which involves removal of the life support systems of a person who is in a similar situation. The court has allowed passive euthanasia with strict safeguards.

What has been a major consideration in the debate on euthanasia is the possibility of close relatives of a terminally ill patient and doctors colluding to snatch the patient’s property. The court has sought to rule out that possibility by laying down strict guidelines and conditions. The request for euthanasia has to be decided by a high court only after ascertaining the opinions of a panel of eminent doctors and other necessary consultations on a case by case basis. If the scope for misuse is eliminated euthanasia may be welcome in many cases where money, medicine or compassion cannot relieve the extreme pain or suffering of a patient who cannot be considered living in the normal sense. In fact, many doctors already do it when they discharge from hospitals patients who have no hope of recovery. There is now a greater acceptability for the idea of euthanasia than in the past.

Parliament has to enact a law which makes euthanasia legal  in rare and extreme cases. Till then the court’s ruling will guide decisions in such cases. The government has been against  euthanasia of any kind but the union law minister Veerappa  Moily has said that legislation will be considered on the basis of the court’s views and public opinion that might emerge from a debate on the issue.