Karnataka to implement Supreme Court’s directive for patient’s ‘right to die with dignity’. All you need to know

Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday said that the state health department has issued a groundbreaking order to enforce the Supreme Court's ruling on a patient's right to die with dignity.

Also Read: The right to die with dignity

Taking to the social media post 'X', he stated that the department has also come out with an Advance Medical Directive (AMD), or a living will, in which a patient can record their wishes about their medical treatment in the future, as reported by PTI.

“My Karnataka Health Department, @DHFWKA, passes a historic order to implement the Supreme Court's directive for a patients Right to Die with dignity,” he said.

Also Read: How will India accept passive euthanasia?

The minister stated that this will greatly benefit individuals who are terminally ill with no chance of recovery, those in a persistent vegetative state, or patients who no longer gain from life-sustaining treatments.

"We have also come out with an Advance Medical Directive (AMD), or a living will, in which a patient can record their wishes about their medical treatment in the future," he said.

This important step, according to the minister, will bring great relief and a dignified sense of closure to many families and individuals, PTI reported.

“Karnataka is a progressive state, and we are always at the forefront in upholding liberal and equitable values for a more just society,” he added.

What is the “Right to die with dignity”?

Euthanasia refers to the deliberate ending of a terminally ill patient’s life by a doctor to alleviate suffering. In India, “passive euthanasia” typically involves withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment. However, this term has caused confusion and public concern about the right to die with dignity.

Also Read: ‘Active Euthanasia illegal’: Govt draft rules cite conditions for withdrawal of life support in terminally-ill patients

On March 9th 2018, a five-Judge Bench comprising Dipak Misra CJI, A K Sikri, A. M. Khanvilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan JJ held that the right to die with dignity is a fundamental right. “An individual’s right to execute advance medical directives is an assertion of the right to bodily integrity and self-determination and does not depend on any recognition or legislation by a State,” as quoted by Supreme Court Observer.

This decision empowers terminally ill patients to choose dignified end-of-life care through advance directives or living wills.

(With inputs from PTI)