Experts Hail Health Ministry's Draft Bill on Passive Euthanasia as a "Progressive Step"

Euthanasia, which refers to intentionally ending a life, is categorized into two types: active and passive. Active euthanasia involves medical professionals or another individual taking deliberate actions to cause a patient's death. Passive euthanasia, on the other hand, allows a patient to die by withholding or withdrawing life support systems.

The ministry's draft states that passive euthanasia may be considered "in a patient's best interests, to stop or discontinue ongoing life support in a terminally ill disease that is no longer likely to benefit the patient or is likely to harm in terms of causing suffering and loss of dignity."

Dr Harshal R Salve, Additional Professor at AIIMS, New Delhi, told IANS, "This is a very welcome and progressive step by the health ministry. It will go a long way in ensuring the welfare of family members, attendants, and the peace of the patient. It will also reduce out-of-pocket expenditure and ease the strain on India's already stressed healthcare system."

The guidelines outline specific conditions for passive euthanasia, such as when a patient is declared brainstem dead or when their condition has advanced beyond the point of benefit from therapeutic interventions. Other considerations include patient/surrogate-documented refusal of life support after prognostic awareness, in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines.

Additionally, the draft addresses patients with severe traumatic brain injuries who show no recovery after 72 hours.

Dr Rajat Agrawal, Director of Critical Care at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, stressed the importance of patient autonomy, saying, "It reduces suffering and pain for the patient and family. Prolonging life on artificial life support systems reduces dignity and increases the burden on society and healthcare systems."

However, some experts expressed concerns about the potential burden on physicians. Agrawal noted that passive euthanasia "could overburden doctors and put them at risk of litigation by families" and warned of possible misuse in vulnerable patients. He also highlighted the need for the guidelines to align with the First Principle of Medicine: "Do no harm."

Experts emphasized that clear communication with patients and families, along with better palliative care support systems, will be crucial in ensuring the success of passive euthanasia in India. They also underscored the need for the guidelines to be firmly established within the Indian Constitution.

(with inputs from IANS)