New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear on Monday a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the right to passive euthanasia for people suffering from rabies. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K Vinod Chandran agreed to hear the petition filed by the NGO, All Creatures Great and Small, after the matter was brought to their attention for listing on February 10.
The petition, originally filed in 2019, was previously issued a notice by the Supreme Court in 2020, directing the Centre and the Ministries of Health and Environment to respond. The NGO’s plea advocates for a procedure to allow rabies patients, or their guardians, to request physician-assisted death or passive euthanasia due to the extreme nature of the disease.
The PIL refers to the landmark judgment passed by the Supreme Court in 2018, where a five-judge Constitution bench legalized passive euthanasia and the creation of “living wills” for terminally ill patients or those in a persistent vegetative state (PVS), offering them a dignified exit by refusing medical treatment or life support.
The NGO, represented by senior advocates Sonia Mathur and Noor Rampal, seeks an exemption for rabies patients, citing the disease’s 100% fatality rate and its severe symptoms that lead to extreme suffering. The petition highlights that rabies can be more agonizing compared to other diseases, as patients often have to be restrained and shackled to their beds, causing immense loss of personal freedom and dignity.
The petition urges the Supreme Court to consider the unique and violent nature of rabies and the absence of a cure, making it a distinct case deserving special consideration.
