NEW DELHI: Saying that time has come for it to decide on the passive euthanasia plea regarding 31-year-old Harish Rana, who has been in a vegetative state for the last 13 years, Supreme Court on Thursday decided to talk to his parents before it moves further in the matter.
Significantly, the secondary report filed by AIIMS medical board, as was directed by SC, is similar to the primary medical board’s report, which had said that there is negligible chance of the man’s recovery.A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan called AIIMS Delhi’s secondary medical report a “sad” one and said it wanted to talk to the parents in person before moving ahead. It requested them to come to court on Jan 13 when it would interact with them in the chamber. The court also directed its registry to furnish the AIIMS medical report to additional SG Aishwarya Bhati.
Court asks two lawyers to meet & interact with Harish’s parents, siblings
The Supreme Court also directed its registry to furnish the AIIMS medical report additional SG and advocate Rashmi Nandakumar, who is appearing for Harish’s father. “We have reached a stage wherein we will have to take a final call. So, your thorough assistance will be required. We will ask the registry to provide you with one copy of the report. Study the report. You will have to assist us. It’s a very sad report, and it will be a big challenge for us also, but we can’t keep the boy like this for all time to come,” it told both the lawyers.The bench also asked the two lawyers to meet and interact with Harish’s parents and his siblings to discuss the issue before the next date of hearing.“In pursuance of our last order dated Dec 11, a secondary medical board was constituted by AIIMS, New Delhi. The team of doctors medically examined the patient, and a report has been forwarded. The report consists of the medical history, general examination, neurological examination and other observations made and diagnostic criteria. We direct the registry to provide each copy to Ms Rashmi and Ms Aishwarya Bhati, learned ASG. We request them to look into the report and study the same and assist us in the report. We request them to jointly speak to the parents and other family members of Harish Rana and give us a report in that regard,” the bench said.As per the procedure framed by SC on passive euthanasia, a decision to withdraw artificial life support is to be made after the primary and secondary medical boards concur. In case of contradictory reports from the two, the matter is to be decided by court, which may constitute an independent committee to depute three doctors from the fields of general medicine, cardiology, neurology, nephrology, psychiatry or oncology, with experience in critical care and with overall standing in the medical profession of at least 20 years.Harish had fallen from the fourth floor on Aug 20, 2013. He was treated at various hospitals, but his condition did not improve. His father had first moved Delhi HC, which refused his plea to refer the case to a primary medical board. Last week, the court went through the report of the primary medical board set up by Noida District Hospital and said, “The bare reading of the letter would indicate Harish is in a pathetic condition.” Go to Source