The Supreme Court on Wednesday permitted passive euthanasia for a 31-year-old man who has remained in a comatose condition for more than 12 years following a severe head injury. The Court directed that his artificial life support be withdrawn in a medically supervised manner while ensuring that his dignity is preserved.
A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan ordered the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, to admit the patient, Harish Rana, into palliative care so that the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment can be carried out in a planned and controlled manner.
Passive euthanasia refers to allowing a patient to die by withholding or withdrawing life support or treatment necessary to sustain life.
Harish Rana suffered severe head injuries in 2013 after falling from the fourth floor of a building. Since the accident, he has remained in a persistent comatose state for more than a decade.
During the proceedings, the Supreme Court examined a report detailing Rana’s medical history that had been submitted by a secondary medical board constituted at AIIMS-Delhi. After reviewing the findings, the bench described the report as a “sad” account of the patient’s condition.
The primary medical board that evaluated Rana concluded that the possibility of recovery was negligible. Based on these findings, the Court considered the request for passive euthanasia.
While allowing the withdrawal of artificial life support, the bench directed that the process be handled through a tailored palliative care plan, ensuring that the patient’s dignity is maintained throughout the process.
Earlier in the hearing, the Supreme Court had also expressed a desire to meet Rana’s parents before taking a final decision. The interaction came as the Court examined the medical assessments and the prolonged nature of the patient’s condition.
With Wednesday’s order, the Court allowed the withdrawal of treatment under medical supervision at AIIMS, marking a significant application of passive euthanasia principles in a case involving a long-term coma patient.
