Indian Union Muslim League Rajya Sabha MP Haris Beeran on Monday (March 16, 2026) pressed the Centre to bring a comprehensive law on withdrawal of end‑of‑life care, citing the prolonged legal struggle faced by families of terminally ill patients.
Raising the matter during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Mr. Beeran referred to the recent Supreme Court judgment in the case of Harish Rana, a man who remained in a permanent vegetative state for 13 years. The case, he said, exposed the “emotional and legal vacuum” that patients’ families continue to confront in the absence of a clear legislative framework.
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Mr. Beeran pointed out that while the judiciary has repeatedly upheld the “right to die with dignity” under Article 21, the Parliament has yet to enact a law despite multiple interventions. “The Law Commission submitted reports in 2006 and 2012, and the Supreme Court issued landmark rulings in 2011, 2018, and 2023. Yet, there is still no statute governing passive euthanasia or end‑of‑life care,” he said.
Highlighting the financial strain on families, Mr. Beeran noted that about 65% of healthcare spending in India is out‑of‑pocket, which makes long‑term care for terminally ill patients particularly burdensome. He added that medical professionals also remain hesitant to act without legislative clarity, fearing legal consequences.
Citing Kerala’s 2008 palliative care policy, which integrated more than 500 NGOs to form a community‑based care network across all grama panchayats, Mr. Beeran said the model showed what coordinated public health intervention could achieve. “This can be a template for the rest of the country,” he said.
Mr. Beeran urged the Union Health Ministry to immediately introduce the Medical Treatment of Terminally Ill Patients (End of Life Care) Act and to make palliative care infrastructure mandatory at all district hospitals and primary health centres.
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Appealing directly to Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, who was present in the House, Mr. Beeran said the government must act urgently so that “no family is forced into a decade‑long legal battle for a dignified exit” for their loved ones.
Published - March 16, 2026 04:09 pm IST
