Doctors should take a "considered decision" on withdrawal of life support in terminally ill patients on the basis of certain conditions including a documented informed refusal by the patient or their kin, according to draft guidelines released by the Union Health Ministry. The guidelines laid out four conditions for passive euthanasia to take a "considered decision in a patient's best interests, to stop or discontinue ongoing life support in a terminally ill disease that is no longer likely to benefit the patient or is likely to harm in terms of causing suffering and loss of dignity." The conditions are: 1.
The individual has been declared to have had a brainstem death 2. There is medical prognostication and a considered opinion that the patient's disease condition is advanced and not likely to benefit from aggressive therapeutic interventions, 3. A patient/surrogate documented informed refusal, following prognostic awareness, to continue life support 4.
Compliance with procedures prescribed by the Supreme Court . The 'Draft Guidelines for Withdrawal of Life Support in Terminally Ill Patients,' also state that doctors should take a considered decision to not start a life supporting measure in a terminally ill patient that is unlikely to benefit the patient and is likely to lead to suffering and loss of dignity. In such a case, three conditions — on whether the individual has been declared to have a brainstem death, if there is a medical prognostication and considered opinio.
