Supreme Court to Review Passive Euthanasia Plea for Rabies Patients

The Supreme Court will review a plea for the right to passive euthanasia for rabies patients. The plea challenges a 2019 Delhi High Court order which denied recognizing rabies as an exceptional disease. The NGO argues that rabies' symptoms are torturous, warranting euthanasia as a dignified option.

The Supreme Court of India has agreed to hear a plea concerning the right to passive euthanasia for patients suffering from rabies. The case, presented by the NGO All Creatures Great and Small, challenges a 2019 Delhi High Court decision that opposed classifying rabies as an extraordinary disease necessitating such measures.

The petitioner is advocating for rabies to be treated as a unique exception to the 2018 Supreme Court ruling, which legalized passive euthanasia through living wills for terminal illnesses. The NGO stresses the torturous and violent symptoms of rabies, claiming it demands special consideration given the disease's 100% fatality rate and lack of effective treatment.

The legal team representing the NGO argues that rabies’ severe impact on personal freedom and dignity makes it imperative for the court to allow patients a dignified choice to end their suffering. The court will continue its deliberations after two weeks on a specified non-miscellaneous day.