'Have to do something': SC wants board to examine man comatose for 13 years, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court has directed AIIMS, New Delhi to form a medical board to assess a 32-year-old man in a vegetative state for 13 years.
• This assessment is in response to the father's request for passive euthanasia for his son, Harish Rana.
• The court has requested the report by December 17, with the next hearing scheduled for December 18.
• In 2018, the Supreme Court recognized the legality of passive euthanasia for terminally ill patients, linking it to the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Detailed Insights:

• Harish Rana suffered severe head injuries in 2013 after falling from a building, leading to a permanent vegetative state (PVS) and quadriplegia.
• The Supreme Court previously rejected a similar plea from Harish's parents on August 20, 2024, emphasizing the distinction between legal passive euthanasia and illegal active euthanasia.
• A primary medical board examined Harish following the court's order on November 26 and indicated negligible chances of recovery, noting severe bedsores.
• The Supreme Court's 2018 ruling in Common Cause vs Union of India established guidelines for passive euthanasia, which were further modified in January 2023 to streamline the process.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Passive Euthanasia: Withholding life-sustaining treatment with the intention to relieve suffering and allow a natural death.
• Active Euthanasia: Taking deliberate steps to end a life, such as administering a lethal drug.
• Permanent Vegetative State (PVS): A state of prolonged unconsciousness where a person has lost cognitive function but retains non-cognitive function and sleep-wake cycles.