The Karnataka Health Department has implemented the Supreme Court’s order granting terminally ill patients the right to die with dignity. The policy applies to those with incurable illnesses or no chance of recovery while on life support.
Under the new rules, a two-step medical review process will decide each case. A primary board of three doctors will assess the patient’s condition. A secondary board, with three doctors and one government-appointed doctor, will review the findings before sending the report to court.
If the court approves, life support will be withdrawn under medical supervision, letting the patient pass away peacefully. The process begins only after a family request.
The move follows the Supreme Court’s focus on preventing prolonged suffering for patients with irreversible conditions.
Taking to X, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao wrote: “This will immensely benefit those who are terminally ill with no hope of recovery, or are in a persistent vegetative state, and where the patient no longer benefits from life-sustaining treatment. We have also come out with an Advance Medical Directive (AMD), or a living will, in which a patient can record their wishes for their medical treatment in the future. This important step will bring great relief and a dignified sense of closure to many families and individuals.”