Ghaziabad, March 11 (IANS) With the Supreme Court permitting passive euthanasia for Harish Rana, who has been in a vegetative state since 2013, his father Ashok Rana on Wednesday expressed deep gratitude to the judges for their decision, saying that the order not only affects his family but could also bring relief to many other families facing similar situations across the country.
Talking to reporters, Ashok Rana said the legal battle had been long and emotionally difficult for the family.
“Four years ago, my wife had suggested that we approach the Prime Minister or the President regarding this issue. But at that time, I told her that such a step would not be possible,” he said.
Rana explained that he later discussed the matter with members of the Brahma Kumari institution, with which he has been associated.
“I have been connected with the Brahma Kumari institution. I shared our situation with one of the senior members there. She helped us by sending a lawyer, Manish Jain, who guided us through the legal process,” he said.
He added that the family initially approached the High Court before eventually taking the matter to the Supreme Court.
“We first went to the High Court and later to the Supreme Court. We are eternally grateful to the honourable judges of the Supreme Court for their decision,” he said.
Ashok Rana also thanked the doctors who had been caring for his son over the years.
“The Supreme Court has given a good order to the state government. I want to thank everyone, especially the doctors who supported us during this long and painful time,” he said.
He further noted that both he and his wife are growing older and have struggled to cope with the situation for years.
“We are getting old now. I am around 63 years old and my wife is 60. My son was declared brain dead long ago. This issue is not only about our family. In India, there must be many such cases where families are facing similar circumstances,” he added.
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court allowed passive euthanasia for a 31-year-old Ghaziabad resident who has remained in a permanent vegetative state for nearly 13 years, after suffering severe head injuries in a fall from the fourth floor while he was a student.
A Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan permitted the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment for Harish Rana, observing that the medical Board may exercise its clinical judgment in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the apex court in its landmark 2018 ruling in Common Cause vs. Union of India.
Allowing the plea filed by his family, the Justice Pardiwala-led Bench directed that Rana be admitted to the palliative care unit at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, where the process of withdrawal of medical treatment can be carried out.
“In our considered view, it would be permissible for the medical Board to exercise its clinical judgment regarding the withdrawal of treatment in accordance with the guidelines laid down in Common Cause vs. Union of India,” the apex court said.
Rana has been in a permanent vegetative state with 100 per cent disability and quadriplegia, requiring continuous medical assistance for breathing, feeding, and daily care.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had directed the constitution of a Primary Medical Board to assess whether withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment could be considered.
A team of medical experts that examined Rana at his residence reported that he was lying in bed with a tracheostomy tube for respiration and a gastrostomy tube for feeding, and that the chances of his recovery were negligible.
–IANS
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