Union Health Ministry comes up with new draft guidelines on passive euthanasia.
The Doctors should take a "considered decision" on withdrawal of life support in terminally ill patients on the basis of certain conditions including a documented informed refusal by the patient or their kin.
The guidelines laid out four conditions for the passive euthanasia to take a "considered decision in a patient's best interests, to stop or discontinue ongoing life support.
The individual has been declared to have had a brainstem death
There is medical prognostication and a considered opinion that the patient's disease condition is advanced and not likely to benefit from aggressive therapeutic interventions,
A patient/surrogate documented informed refusal, following prognostic awareness, to continue life support
Compliance with procedures prescribed by the Supreme Court.
A Terminal illness in the draft guidelines has been defined as an irreversible or incurable condition from which death is inevitable in the foreseeable future.
Severe traumatic brain injury which shows no recovery after 72 hours or more is also included.
For a patient without capacity, foregoing of Life Support proposals should be made by a consensus among a group of at least three physicians who form the Primary Medical Board (PMB).
A Secondary Medical Board of three physicians with one appointee by the Chief Medical Officer of the district must validate the decision by the PMB.