Bengaluru – The Karnataka government took a significant step towards implementing the Supreme Court's ruling on the "Right to Die with Dignity" by issuing an order on Friday. This order aims to provide relief to terminally ill patients with no hope of recovery or those in a persistent vegetative state.

The order, announced by State Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, mandates the establishment of two committees in each district. These committees, composed of two doctors each, will be responsible for evaluating and granting permission for mercy killing.

This decision comes after the Supreme Court's January 24, 2023, directive in the Writ Petition of 2005. The court's order emphasized the need for a legal framework to protect the rights of terminally ill patients who wish to end their suffering.

Minister Rao highlighted the significance of this "historic" order, stating that it will provide much-needed relief to individuals and families burdened by prolonged and debilitating illnesses. He emphasized the government's commitment to upholding liberal and equitable values for a just society. The department has developed an Advance Medical Directive (AMD), a living will, to record future medical treatment wishes.

The order outlines the nomination process for medical practitioners who can serve on the Secondary Medical Board. This board will be responsible for certifying the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment in cases where patients meet the criteria of terminal illness with no hope of recovery or a persistent vegetative state. Any neurologist, neurosurgeon, surgeon, anaesthetist, or intensivist approved by the Appropriate Authority under section 3, subsection 6 of The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994 (amended 2011) to be a Board of Medical Experts member for brain-stem death certification is deemed nominated by the District Health Officer as a registered medical practitioner for the Secondary Medical Board.

The Karnataka government's order, signed by Principal Secretary to Government, Health and Family Welfare Department, Harsh Gupta, on January 30, brings the state closer to realizing the Supreme Court's vision of ensuring a dignified death for those suffering from incurable conditions.