Harish Rana dies! After 13 years of pain and trouble, 31-year-old patient dies at AIIMS Delhi

Harish Rana’s nutritional support was gradually withdrawn after he was admitted to the hospital, as decided by the Supreme Court.

Harish Rana dies! In a breaking development, 31-year-old Harish Rana who has been in a coma since 2013, was shifted from his Ghaziabad home to the palliative care unit at Dr BR Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on March 14. For those unversed, Harish Rana was a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad who met a deadly accident in 2013, leading to a serious injury.

What happened to Harish Rana?

Three days before that, the Supreme Court in a landmark judgment on March 11 allowed passive euthanasia for Harish, who was a BTech student at Panjab University who fell from a fourth-floor balcony in 2013 and suffered severe head injuries. Notably, Harish was in a coma since, with artificial nutrition support and occasional oxygen support.

What is Passive euthanasia?

Passive euthanasia is the intentional act of letting a patient die by withholding or withdrawing life support or the treatment necessary to keep him alive. Harish’s nutritional support was gradually withdrawn after he was admitted to the hospital, a report by PTI said. He is survived by his parents, Ashok and Nirmala Rana.

What has Harish Rana’s family decided?

Harish’s family had said after the apex court judgment that the withdrawal of artificial life support won’t bring any personal benefit to the family but in the larger public interest, the decision could help others facing similar situations. His father had said passive euthanasia will restore Harish’s dignity after years of irreversible suffering.

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The apex court had directed AIIMS-Delhi to ensure that life support is withdrawn with a tailored plan so that dignity is maintained.

Who are the doctors behind Harish Rana?

A specialised medical team headed by Dr Seema Mishra, professor and head of the department of anaesthesia and palliative medicine, was constituted to implement the process, the first ever in India.

The team comprised doctors from departments of neurosurgery, onco-anaesthesia and palliative medicine, and psychiatry.

The Supreme Court, in its March 11 judgment, allowed passive euthanasia for a person for the first time in the country. Ruling on the long discussed emotive issue, a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan asked the Union government to consider bringing comprehensive legislation on passive euthanasia.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The Times Of Bengal