Harish Rana Gets SC Nod For Passive Euthanasia: Do You Know Mumbai Has A ‘Living Will’ Clinic?

Last Updated:March 11, 2026, 14:06 IST

Harish Rana Gets SC Nod For Passive Euthanasia: Living Will stipulates your medical wishes if you can't communicate. India even has a ‘Living Will’ clinic. News18 explains

As the Supreme Court on Wednesday granted Harish Rana, 32, who has been comatose for 12 years, the permission for passive euthanasia, one question that has emerged is can a person make a ‘living will’ for these decisions?

Do you know Mumbai has India’s first clinic dedicated towards it? News18 explains all you need to know about ‘living wills’.

LEGAL BASIS FOR LIVING WILLS

Ghaziabad’s Harish Rana, 32, suffered head injuries after falling from the fourth floor of a building in 2013 and has been in a coma for over a decade. A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan directed AIIMS to grant admission in palliative care to Rana so that the medical treatment can be withdrawn. It must be ensured that it is withdrawn with a tailored plan so that dignity is maintained, the bench said.

In the Aruna Shanbaug case, the Supreme Court in 2011 first recognised the legality of passive euthanasia in rare circumstances. Although the court rejected the specific plea for Aruna Shanbaug, a nurse in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) for 37 years, because her caregivers opposed it, it established the broad principle that life support could be withdrawn under judicial supervision.

ALSO READ | SC Allows Passive Euthanasia For 32-Year-Old: How Aruna Shanbaug Case Paved The Way

In 2018, A five-judge bench formally legalised passive euthanasia, declaring the “Right to Die with Dignity" a fundamental right under Article 21 (Right to Life).

This ruling introduced Living Wills or Advance Medical Directives), allowing individuals to document their end-of-life wishes in advance.

WHAT IS A LIVING WILL?

A living will is a legal document that lets a person state his/her wishes about medical treatment in case they become unable to communicate or make decisions due to illness or incapacity such as being in a coma or suffering from advanced dementia.

It allows you to…

Outline what kind of life-sustaining treatments you want or don’t want, such as:

• Mechanical ventilation
• Feeding tubes
• CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
• Dialysis
• Palliative care or pain relief only

WHEN IS A LIVING WILL USED?

A living will only takes effect if you are:

• Unable to make decisions

• Terminally ill or permanently unconscious, depending on the laws in your country/state.

WHAT THE LAW SAYS

According to a 2018 Supreme Court order, one can nominate at least two persons — a family member, a trusted friend or colleague — to take healthcare decisions on their behalf.

These nominees, above 18 years of age, will be consulted about health decisions when the living will gets implemented. They should understand the patients’ wishes and preferences, and preferably should be geographically close to be able to reach the hospital soon in case of an emergency, Dr Smriti Khanna, P D Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre Consultant, Palliative Medicine, told PTI

INDIA HAS A SPECIAL LIVING WILL CLINIC TOO

A Mumbai-based private hospital in July 2025 launched a ‘Living Will Clinic’ to help individuals make informed decisions about their future medical care in case of serious or unforeseen health circumstances.

ALSO READ | Mumbai Gets India’s First ‘Living Will’ Clinic: Can You Deny CPR, Ventilator Or Feeding Tubes?

The P D Hinduja Hospital & Medical Research Centre (MRC) in Mahim said it was a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country. The hospital said the clinic will help patients prepare legal documents to outline their preferences, ensuring they retain control over future healthcare decisions.

WHAT DOES THE CLINIC DO?

The Living Will Clinic at P. D. Hinduja Hospital has a dedicated team of consultants who spend time with you and your family (if you desire) and explain in detail, the significance as well as the entire process.

It provides comprehensive guidance and counselling on various aspects of Living Will including:

• The criteria for activating the Living Will.
• Medical Power of Attorney: Who will make your healthcare choices if you are unable to make them.
• Preferences and options.
• Understand the paperwork needed in creating a Living Will or advance directive
• It facilitates conversations with your loved ones

WHO CAN MAKE A LIVING WILL?

“A living will can be made by anyone above the age of 18 years who wishes to receive medical treatment according to their preferences at a time when they are unable to make these decisions for themselves. It can be made by healthy individuals as well as individuals with chronic illness or a life-threatening disease," Dr Smriti Khanna, P D Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre Consultant, Palliative Medicine, told PTI.

However, she clarified that the document can be changed or even cancelled any time before it is implemented.

“You have to go through the same process of making the living will again (if cancelled) as you did previously. Each time you make a new living will, you must inform your medical team, family, (person holding) medical powers of attorney and also send a copy to the local authority (municipal corporation or panchayat as the case may be)," she maintained.

“Our healthcare system currently lacks preparedness for situations where patients are unable to communicate for themselves. In such cases, families are forced to make difficult decisions without knowing what their loved one would have wanted. The Living Will Clinic helps individuals in taking charge of their decisions in advance by explaining their options, documenting their wishes, and designating someone they trust to take the right decision on their behalf," Hospital and MRC Section Head, Neurology, Dr Roop Gursahani, said.

With PTI Inputs

News explainers Harish Rana Gets SC Nod For Passive Euthanasia: Do You Know Mumbai Has A ‘Living Will’ Clinic?

Read More