SUPREME COURT CLARIFIES WHEN MEDICAL TREATMENT CAN BE WITHDRAWN IN THE “BEST INTERESTS OF THE PATIENT”
The Supreme Court of India recently delivered a significant judgment clarifying the circumstances in which life-sustaining medical treatment may be withdrawn in the best interests of a patient. In Harish Rana v. Union of India, the Court permitted the withdrawal of life support of a 32-year-old man who had been in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) for over 13 years, thereby allowing passive euthanasia in the case.