Abstract
The legal and moral validity of euthanasia has been questioned in different situations. In India, the status of euthanasia is no different. It was the Aruna Ramachandra Shanbaug case that got significant public attention and led the Supreme Court of India to initiate detailed deliberations on the long ignored issue of euthanasia. Realising the importance of this issue and considering the ongoing and pending litigation before the different courts in this regard, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India issued a public notice on May 2016 that invited opinions from the citizens and the concerned stakeholders on the proposed draft bill entitled The Medical Treatment of Terminally Ill Patients (Protection of Patients and Medical Practitioners) Bill. Globally, only a few countries have legislation with discreet and unambiguous guidelines on euthanasia. The ongoing developments have raised a hope of India getting a discreet law on euthanasia in the future.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bbc.co.uk. (2009). BBC—Religions—Hinduism: Euthanasia, assisted dying and suicide. Retrieved June 29, 2017, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/hinduethics/euthanasia.shtml.
Bbc.co.uk. (2012). BBC—Religions—Islam: Euthanasia, assisted dying, medical ethics and suicide. Retrieved June 29, 2017, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/islamethics/euthanasia.shtml.
Bma.org.uk. (2017). BMA—End-of-life care and physician-assisted dying. Retrieved June 29, 2017, from https://www.bma.org.uk/collective-voice/policy-and-research/ethics/end-of-life-care.
Buiting, H., van Delden, J., Onwuteaka-Philpsen, B., Rietjens, J., Rurup, M., van Tol, D., Gevers, J., Maas, P., & Heide, A. (2009). Reporting of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in the Netherlands: Descriptive study. BMC Medical Ethics. doi:10.1186/1472-6939-10-18.
Castro, M., Antunes, G., Marcon, L., Andrade, L., Rückl, S., & Andrade, V. (2017). Euthanasia and assisted suicide in western countries: A systematic review. Revista Bioética, 24, 355–367.
Ceaser, M. (2008). Euthanasia in legal limbo in Colombia. The Lancet, 371(9609), 290–291.
Chambaere, K., & Bernheim, J. (2015). Does legal physician-assisted dying impede development of palliative care? The Belgian and Benelux experience. Journal of Medical Ethics, 41(8), 657–660. doi:10.1136/medethics-2014-102116.
Chavan, P. (2017). Should euthanasia be allowed in India? Ministry of Health & Family Welfare wants your opinion. Retrieved June 28, 2017, from http://www.thehealthsite.com/news/should-euthanasia-be-allowed-in-india-ministry-of-health-family-welfare-wants-your-opinion-po0516/.
Cohen-Almagor, R. (2015). First do no harm: Euthanasia of patients with dementia in Belgium: Table 1. Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. doi:10.1093/jmp/jhv031.
Daily News & Analysis. (2011). The hits and misses of the Aruna Shanbaug verdict. Retrieved June 29, 2017, from http://www.dnaindia.com/india/analysis-the-hits-and-misses-of-the-aruna-shanbaug-verdict-1517522.
Dyer, C. (2003). Swiss parliament may try to ban “suicide tourism”. BMJ, 326(7383), 242. doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7383.242.
Findlaw. (2017). FindLaw’s court of appeals of New Mexico case and opinions. Retrieved June 29, 2017, from http://caselaw.findlaw.com/nm-court-of-appeals/1710738.html.
Frati, P., Gulino, M., Mancarella, P., Cecchi, R., & Ferracuti, S. (2014). Assisted suicide in the care of mentally ill patients: The Lucio Magri’s case. Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 21, 26–30. doi:10.1016/j.jflm.2013.10.017.
Gauthier, S., Mausbach, J., Reisch, T., & Bartsch, C. (2014). Suicide tourism: A pilot study on the Swiss phenomenon. Journal of Medical Ethics, 41(8), 611–617. doi:10.1136/medethics-2014-102091.
Grim Reaper, M. D. (2017). National review. Retrieved June 28, 2017, from https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2016-04-25-0100/euthanasia-policy-holland-the-netherlands-slippery-slope.
House Bill 814, 49th Legislature—State of New Mexico—First Session, 2009. (2009). Retrieved from https://www.nmlegis.gov/sessions/09%20Regular/bills/house/HB0814.pdf.
Indiankanoon.org. (2017). Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug vs Union of India & Ors on 7 March, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2017, from https://indiankanoon.org/doc/235821/.
Jotkowitz, A. (2006). The Groningen protocol: Another perspective. Journal of Medical Ethics, 32(3), 157–158. doi:10.1136/jme.2005.012476.
Kanchan, T., Atreya, A., & Krishan, K. (2015). Aruna Shanbaug: Is her demise the end of the road for legislation on euthanasia in India? Science and Engineering Ethics, 22(4), 1251–1253. doi:10.1007/s11948-015-9687-4.
Langley, A. (2017). ‘Suicide tourists’ go to the Swiss for help in dying. Nytimes.com. Retrieved June 28, 2017, from http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/04/world/suicide-tourists-go-to-the-swiss-for-help-in-dying.html?mcubz=2.
Liddane, N. (2013). Abandoned to principle: an overview of the law on euthanasia & assisted suicide in the UK and Ireland & the case for reform. Cork Online Law Review, 12, 79–103.
Mani, R., Amin, P., Chawla, R., Divatia, J., Kapadia, F., Khilnani, P., Myatra, S., Prayag, S., Rajagopalan, R., Todi, S., Uttam, R., Balakrishnan, S., Dalmia, A., & Kuthiala, A. (2005). Limiting life-prolonging interventions and providing palliative care towards the end-of-life in Indian intensive care units. Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine, 9(2), 96. doi:10.4103/0972-5229.17097.
Mani, R., Amin, P., Chawla, R., Divatia, J., Kapadia, F., Khilnani, P., Myatra, S., Prayag, S., Rajagopalan, R., Todi, S., & Uttam, R. (2012). Guidelines for end-of-life and palliative care in Indian intensive care units’ ISCCM consensus ethical position statement. Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine, 16(3), 166. doi:10.4103/0972-5229.102112.
Medical treatment to terminally ill patients (protection of patients and medical practitioners). (2006). http://lawcommissionofindia.nic.in/reports.htm. Retrieved June 29, 2017, from http://lawcommissionofindia.nic.in/reports/rep196.pdf.
Menon, S. (2013). Euthanasia: A matter of life or death? Singapore Medical Journal, 54(3), 116–128. doi:10.11622/smedj.2013043.
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW). (2016). Medical treatment of terminally-ill patients (protection of patients and medical. Practitioners) Act. Retrieved June 29, 2017, from http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/draft/Draft%20Passive%20Euthanansia%20Bill.pdf.
Myatra, S., Salins, N., Iyer, S., Macaden, S., Divatia, J., Muckaden, M., Kulkarni, P., Simha, S., & Mani, R. (2014). End-of-life care policy: An integrated care plan for the dying. Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine, 18(9), 615. doi:10.4103/0972-5229.140155.
Nationalrighttolifenews.org. (2017). British Medical Association rejects attempt to push it neutral on assisted suicide by 2 to 1 majority | NRL News Today. Retrieved June 29, 2017, from http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2016/06/british-medical-association-rejects-attempt-to-push-it-neutral-on-assisted-suicide-by-2-to-1-majority/#.WVSSV-uGPIU.
Openparliament.ca. (2017). Bill C-14 | openparliament.ca (online). https://openparliament.ca/bills/42-1/C-14/. Accessed June 29, 2017.
Passive Euthanasia—A Relook. Report No. 241. (2012). http://lawcommissionofindia.nic.in/. Retrieved June 29, 2017, from http://lawcommissionofindia.nic.in/reports/report241.pdf.
Payton, S. (1992). The concept of the person in the parens patriae jurisdiction over previously competent persons. Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, 17(6), 605–645. doi:10.1093/jmp/17.6.605.
Rajagopal, K. (2016). Open to framing law on euthanasia, says Centre. The Hindu. Retrieved June 29, 2017, from http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Open-to-framing-law-on-euthanasia-says-Centre/article14028780.ece.
Raus, K. (2016). The extension of Belgium’s Euthanasia Law to include competent minors. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 13(2), 305–315. doi:10.1007/s11673-016-9705-5.
Reuters. (2017). Euthanasia tourists snap up pet shop drug in Mexico (online). http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-euthanasia-idUSN0329945820080603. Accessed June 29, 2017.
Services.parliament.uk. (2007). Assisted dying (No. 2) bill 2015-16—UK Parliament. Retrieved June 29, 2017, from http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/assisteddyingno2.html.
The Times of India. (2016). Doctor group seeks law to spare patients needless med spend—Times of India. Retrieved June 29, 2017, from http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Doctor-group-seeks-law-to-spare-patients-needless-med-spend/articleshow/53145801.cms.
Trachsel, M., Irwin, S., Biller-Andorno, N., Hoff, P., & Riese, F. (2016). Palliative psychiatry for severe persistent mental illness as a new approach to psychiatry? Definition, scope, benefits, and risks. BMC Psychiatry. doi:10.1186/s12888-016-0970-y.
Vizcarrondo, F. (2014). Neonatal euthanasia: The Groningen protocol. The Linacre Quarterly, 81(4), 388–392. doi:10.1179/0024363914z.00000000086.
Wma.net. (2017). WMA—The World Medical Association-WMA Resolution on Euthanasia. Retrieved June 29, 2017, from https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-resolution-on-euthanasia/.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Shekhawat, R.S., Kanchan, T., Setia, P. et al. Euthanasia: Global Scenario and Its Status in India. Sci Eng Ethics 24, 349–360 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-017-9946-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-017-9946-7