The Supreme Court has agreed to consider a request regarding euthanasia for patients suffering from rabies. This came after a 2019 decision by the Delhi High Court that said rabies should not be treated as a special case for allowing patients to end their suffering with dignity.
The case was brought forward by an NGO called All Creatures Great and Small. They want the court to treat rabies as a unique illness with no cure and allow doctors to help patients who choose to die peacefully instead of going through severe pain.
During a recent court session, lawyers for the NGO explained that rabies has a 100% chance of being fatal and can be extremely painful. Symptoms of rabies can lead to patients being tied down to beds, which takes away their dignity and freedom.
The Supreme Court had previously recognized the right to die with dignity in 2018, allowing terminally ill patients the option to refuse medical treatment. Now, the NGO is asking the Court to specifically help rabies patients by creating rules for passive euthanasia.
The court will discuss this again in two weeks, and they have also asked the government to respond to these concerns.
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