New Delhi: In the wake of the country’s first court-approved euthanasia case, 75 people in Mumbai have submitted applications requesting euthanasia under specific circumstances. However, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is yet to respond to these requests due to the absence of clear guidelines.
These applicants have stated that if they suffer from a serious illness or an accident that leaves them in a coma-like state with no possibility of recovery, they wish to be allowed to opt for euthanasia. They have also signed “living wills” and submitted them to the relevant authorities.
Speaking on the matter, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde said that while the applications are being accepted and safely stored, the BMC does not have the authority to act on them. “Any patient who submits a euthanasia letter, we keep it safely, but its implementation is the responsibility of the family. The court has allowed us to hold these letters, but we cannot execute them ourselves,” she explained.
Following a Supreme Court ruling that legalised passive euthanasia in India, the BMC had assigned medical officers in all wards to monitor living wills. Those who wish to submit a living will must prepare the document in a notarised format and submit it to the respective ward office.
Currently, the BMC has received a total of 75 applications for euthanasia. In an effort to streamline the process, the state government is reportedly working on an online portal or app that will make submitting applications easier.
The move follows the death of Harish Rana, the first person in India to receive court-approved passive euthanasia. Rana, 31, passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, where he had been receiving palliative care.
He had been in a coma since 2013 after falling from a fourth-floor balcony, sustaining severe head injuries. At the time of the accident, he was an engineering student. The Supreme Court had allowed his parents’ plea to withdraw life support, marking a historic moment in India’s legal and medical history regarding end-of-life care.
Rana’s case has prompted a growing number of individuals to formally request euthanasia, highlighting both the demand for the procedure and the need for clear legal and administrative guidelines. The BMC continues to hold the applications securely, awaiting further clarity on how to manage and implement these living wills in line with legal protocols.
(IANS)
