The decision has been taken by State in accordance with the Supreme Court’s ruling which held that terminally ill patients have right to die with dignity.
- Karnataka is the second State after Kerala to implement the directive.
Supreme Court Ruling
- In Common Cause vs. Union of India & Anr. (2018) case, recognised right to die with dignity as a fundamental right under Article 21 and upheld legal validity of passive euthanasia.
- Euthanasia is an act of deliberately ending a person's life to relieve suffering from painful and incurable disease or disorder.
- Further in 2023, court simplified certain directions of an earlier Constitution Bench on how to implement advance medical directives for passive euthanasia.
Passive euthanasia
- In it, there is withhold or withdraw of life-sustaining treatment (LST) for terminally ill patients undergoing prolonged medical treatment with no hope of recovery and do not have decision-making capacity.
- On the other hand, active euthanasia is the intentional act of killing a terminally ill patient on voluntary request.
- It is illegal in India.
- On the other hand, active euthanasia is the intentional act of killing a terminally ill patient on voluntary request.
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released draft “Guidelines for Withdrawal of Life Support in Terminally ill Patients” (refer to box).
Key highlights of Guidelines
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