Harish Rana, first Indian to be allowed passive euthanasia, dies
What's the story
Harish Rana, the first person in India to be allowed passive euthanasia, died on Tuesday at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, PTI reported. He was 31. He had been in a vegetative state for over 13 years after suffering severe head injuries from a fall in 2013. The Supreme Court had permitted withdrawal of life support for him on March 11.
Legal approval
Supreme Court's landmark judgment on March 11
While allowed passive euthanasia for Rana, the court had directed AIIMS-Delhi to withdraw life support in a dignified manner, appointing a specialized medical team headed by Dr. Seema Mishra. This team included experts from the neurosurgery, onco-anesthesia and palliative medicine, and psychiatry departments. Rana was transferred to the palliative care unit at AIIMS-Delhi on March 14. His nutritional support was gradually withdrawn after his admission to the hospital.
Medical transition
'He was a bright boy'
The court's decision was based on recommendations from primary and secondary medical boards. These boards had recommended the withdrawal of Clinically Administered Nutrition (CAN), which was keeping Rana alive without any therapeutic improvement. The court said that when both boards agree to withdraw life support, further judicial intervention isn't necessary. While allowing passive euthanasia for Rana, Justice JB Pardiwala got emotional and said that Rana was once "a bright young boy" studying before his accident.
Family response
He was pursuing civil engineering at Chandigarh University
Rana, a resident of Delhi, was pursuing civil engineering at Chandigarh University when he met with an accident on August 20, 2013. Since then, he had been in a permanent vegetative state and was dependent on tubes for breathing and nutrition. Rana's father, Ashok Rana, expressed his struggle for the decision for passive euthanasia, saying, "We had been fighting for this. Which parents would want this for their son?"