Legal and ethical issues related to withdrawal of life support in terminally ill patients: Current perspective

Withdrawal of life support or withholding life sustaining treatments in Patients experiencing an irreversible terminal illness or in those expecting outcome from continued care in a state of health contrary to patient's wishes as communicated or understood by their family or legal heirs has often raised serious legal and ethical issues in medical practice. There are countries that have well defined legislations to deal with such conditions, while in others these issues have been widely discussed but without specific legal provisions to deal these conditions. The role of the treating doctors/physician is highly substantial in such a situation and awareness about related legal provision prevalent in the country can guide him to deal with patients and relations on this issue. These issues have been of growing concern in developing countries like India. The present article highlights the current perspectives of legal, ethical and moral issues particularly in light of judgement of honourable Supreme Court of India in Case related to Aruna Ramchandra Shaun Baugh [(2011) 4 SCC 454] in which guidelines have been laid down to deal with passive euthanasia i.e. withdrawing of life supporting measures in those dying patients who are in persistent vegetative state or irreversible coma or of unsound mind and safety measures to be observed by attending doctors.