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Euthanasia plea: List of NGOs sought
The Madras High Court while observing that it has to be very careful while deciding on a plea seeking passive euthanasia for a nine-year-old boy reportedly in a Persistent Vegetative State (PVS) from birth being diagnosed with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) has directed the State and Centre to submit a list about NGOs and Government run institutions that can take care of the boy
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
When the plea admitted last month by a division bench comprising Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice S Baskaran came up for hearing on Monday, the state submitted a panel of three doctors, as per regulations to diagnose the boy’s health status and submit a report as to whether it is a fit case for administering passive euthanasia.
As the bench was passing interim orders directing the panel to submit the report within three weeks, N Kavita Rameshwar, the counsel appearing for the boy’s father sought the panel to come out with clear findings on the boy as to whether he is persistently vegetative and whether his condition is reversible or not.
But even as the bench recorded the counsel’s submission, Justice N Kirubakaran heading the bench on noting that the court cannot afford to make an error on this and it has already given him sleepless nights, said the court is mulling over the possibility of palliative care in case the father is unable to take care of the boy.
To this, the counsel pointed out that for a father, financial constraint cannot come in the way for taking care of the child. But in this case, the euthanasia plea, the counsel stressed was only to smoothen the process of his son’s death and to ensure his dignity in both life and death.
She also noted that there are many agencies involved in palliative care. But the moment you approach them, the instant answer is ‘come with an attendant’. She also pointed out that it is unfortunate that in such places, such patients in a vegetative state are treated worse than animals’ since they can neither speak nor feel pain.
As per the petition moved by Paveendhan’s father, R Thirumeni, various doctors had informed him that his son’s condition is irreversible. He suffers from complete motor disability and has been in a stage of awareness-devoid wakefulness since birth, the father’s plea said.
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